The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that there is an exposed plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to clampdown, victimize and sack workers as well as appointees in ministries, departments and agencies ahead of the 2019 Presidential election, describing it as extremely wicked, reprehensible and unacceptable.

The party observed in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by Kola Ologbondiyan, its National Publicity Secretary, that Nigerians were terrified when APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the party’s National Convention revealed the party’s plan to undertake a blanket victimization of federal civil servants and appointees perceived to favour or harbour opinions different from those of the APC. PDP said its investigation revealed that part of the plot, which it feared might even commence soon, is to frame up such public servants as fifth columnists as openly suggested by Asiwaju Tinubu and hang spurious allegations on them for political reasons.

The PDP totally condemned this “vicious scheme” to victimize the federal workers or cause any one of them to suffer any hurt because of APC’s re-election quest.

The party said: “We insist that this desperation for power by the APC should not in any way, or under any guise whatsoever lead to the victimization of workers at any level across our country.

“Under our laws as a nation, Nigerian workers, like other citizens, have the right to opinion and choice of who to vote for at elections and nobody has the powers to molest or threaten them in the exercise of such rights.

“It is on record that throughout the years of the PDP in government at the centre, no worker or public servant, at any level, was intimidated or coerced in any form for his or her political opinion or preferences.

“We know that the Buhari Presidency and the APC are jittery ahead of the elections but such burden should not be placed on the shoulders of our workers and we urge the workers to note those to hold responsible should any harm befall any of them.”

The PDP urged all Nigerians workers to be at alert, especially as the APC “will use its agents to attempt to divide their ranks in furtherance of the plot.”

It said Nigerians must, therefore, ensure that all citizens are protected by working together on the platform of the repositioned PDP to rescue the nation from the wicked clutches of the anti-people APC, come 2019.

The main opposition party also noted that Nigerians cannot be fooled by the APC’s change of slogan, admonishing the ruling party to “perish the thought of deceiving and beguiling Nigerians by its attempt to changing its slogan from ‘Change’ to ‘Progress.’”

The PDP described such thought as a direct insult on the intelligence of Nigerians and the worst form of deceit from a failed political party that had brought nothing but hunger, afflictions and daily bloodletting to the nation.

“How can the APC think that by changing its slogan, Nigerians will suddenly forget that in the last three years of its administration, the nation has not witnessed the Change it promised and that all the campaign promises upon which they rode to power have all turned out to be lies?” PDP asked.

It added: “Whereas under the APC misrule all aspects of our national life have witnessed unprecedented deterioration, its leaders are busy thinking of how to beguile Nigerians with a change of slogan instead of preparing their handover notes.

“It is a notorious fact that the APC has nothing to progress with unless they mean the perpetuation of their misrule, violation of human rights, de-marketing of our nation, wrecking of our economy, increased unemployment, instigating of disunity among the people as well as the acute hunger and poverty for which they have become synonymous.

“It is imperative to inform these APC leaders that the solution to the problems they have unleashed on our nation today does not lie in sloganeering.

“Rather, our nation requires a new leadership of qualitative Nigerians endowed with in-depth knowledge in the areas of economy, security and good governance.

“On our own part, the repositioned PDP is working round the clock in our resolve to bring forth a form of government that will encapsulate the aspirations, happiness and prosperity of Nigerians in all areas of life.”

The party, therefore, urged Nigerians to shun “this contrivance of another deceptive lexicon aimed to once again beguile our people, now that election is around the corner.” (Tribune)

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