2019: Why Buhari, APC must be held responsible if anything happens to Atiku, others – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Saturday said the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government should be held responsible should anything happens to former Vice

President Abubakar Atiku or any its presidential aspirants ahead of the 2019 general elections.

PDP said this in reaction to the alleged threats to the life of the former Vice President, as well as similar threats and harassments of other presidential aspirants.

In a statement by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP said it does not take “these threats as a ruse and we demand an open inquest into all the issues raised by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in his petition to President Buhari.”

The statement reads, “It is a known fact that the APC has been on frenetic mode over the caliber and popularity of presidential aspirants arraying on our party platform.

“The APC knows that President Buhari is no match for any of our aspirants hence the resort to violence, harassment and death threats, with a view to frighten and put our presidential aspirants out of circulation ahead of the 2019 elections.

“Nigerians are already aware of how the APC-led Government has been using security and anti-corruption agencies, particularly the Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to harass and hound presidential hopefuls and perceived political opponents of the President, as well as the members of our party on various trumped-up allegations and charges.

“The dysfunctional APC has become distraught by the resurge of Nigerians to our platform since the commencement of electioneering activities, while the APC national secretariat and its state offices have become deserted like graveyards.

“Rather than accepting the reality of their failures ahead of the 2019 elections, the APC has scaled up its proclivities for violence against the opposition.

“Only last week, the APC unleashed their thugs to attack our national secretariat with charms and dangerous weapons and attempted to disrupt our activities. This is in addition to series of other attacks on our members in various parts of the country by APC sponsored thugs.

“We want the APC to note that, in all, it is fighting a lost battle. The PDP family will never be cowed or intimidated by the evil machinations of the APC as we stand shoulder to shoulder with majority of Nigerians, across the board, in this national emergency of ending the misrule of the Buhari-led administration, which has caused so much harm to our dear nation.”