The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction led by Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje has dared President Goodluck Jonathan to go ahead with his alleged plans to crack down on the group, saying that they are ready for the worst.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, said in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja that they are ready to die and have already been directed by Alhaji Baraje to write their wills. Eze in the statement also alleged that the crackdown was being planned to affect former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. It, however, advised the Jonathan administration to leave Obasanjo alone as he has no hand in the formation and operations of the faction. Said new PDP in the statement:

“Some days ago, we received intelligence reports that the Presidency was putting finishing touches to what it calls “Operation Total Crackdown on G7 and their allies in the New PDP”. When we got details of the plot to arrest and commit the leadership of New PDP to prison without charge we thought it was a joke. The reality, however, dawned on us after we read the interview of our friend and brother, Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, in the PREMIUM TIMES of 26th September, 2013, confirming that President Goodluck Jonathan is under pressure to arrest former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar without any further delay. The sin of these two distinguished Nigerian statesmen, according to those plotting their “demystification”, is their alleged support for the New PDP, including the G7 Governors. That this evil plot s being conceived by the Presidency confirms that the Abacha days are truly here again with us.

“In view of the seriousness of this devilish plot to crack down on us in total disregard of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, the National Chairman of the new PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, summoned an emergency meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to brainstorm on how best to respond to the situation. Our conclusion at the end of the meeting was that we would not be intimidated for any reason, even if it means death, as we are fighting a just cause of reclaiming, recovering and establishing our party based on the vision of its founding fathers as the party is currently usurped by some members who do not know how it was formed. Baraje, knowing how dirty some of the hawks in the Presidency can fight when pushed to the wall, directed NWC members to write their wills immediately after the meeting as we have entered the stage of no retreat and no surrender – fully determined to reclaim what rightly belongs to us.

“The NWC also resolved to urge the G7 Governors that on no account should they be intimidated or frightened by any tactics or strategy employed by State Forces to coerce them to forgo any of the issues they have been asked to present before President Jonathan during the October 7th meeting.

“Though it is sad that instead of employing diplomacy to attend to the issues that brought this conflict to bear the Presidency prefers to use force but we are not disturbed as we are ready for any of its tactics. In this regard, we wish to urge both the Presidency and those detailed to attack us not to waste further time or wait till October 7th to start arresting us as there are thousands of Nigerians ready to step into our shoes and fight this cause to its conclusion.

“We are convinced that at the appropriate time; Asari Dokubo will join us when he is convinced as a Social Crusader the injustice we have been subjected to in PDP all these years so we are not threatened by his outbursts.

“Our stand is the same as that of late President of USA, Theodore Roosevelt, who once stated: “Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else.”

“On a final note, we do not know why General Olusegun Obasanjo is being linked with the new PDP. Let us state unequivocally that this foremost nationalist has not in any way – either directly or by proxy – had anything to do with our existence and operations. Ridiculing and plotting the arrest of such a distinguished personality that fought to keep this nation as one entity and contributed immensely in making PDP the most vibrant, virile, versatile and biggest political party in Africa as a nobody is not the best strategy to use to fight the cause of President Jonathan, who knows what Chief Obasanjo did to make him President in the first place!”

•Photo shows New PDP Chairman, Baraje.

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