PDP demands unconditional reopening of secretariat

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Nigeria Police to open its national secretariat without further delay.
It blamed the eight-month closure of the secretariat on the desperation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to ‘kill opposition in the country.’

A statement issued by the spokesman of the PDP national caretaker committee, Dayo Adeyeye, also urged the judiciary to ensure a timely dispensation of justice on the case between the party’s faction now pending in the Appeal Court.

It also commended all members of staff of the National Secretariat for their peaceful protest Tuesday at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

The protest, carried out under the auspices of PDP Staff Welfare Forum, demanded the reopening of the National Secretariat and speedy delivery of judgment pending before the appellate court.

According to a statement, “The protest is a demonstration of the workers’ commitment to service, loyalty and dedication to the Party’s well-being, peaceful Nigeria, and advancement of democracy at large.

“It is our firm belief that keeping the PDP National Secretariat locked since June 2016 till date is orchestrated by the Ruling Party to decimate and silence our Party from providing viable opposition.

“The gross incompetence of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to deliver on its campaign promises to Nigerians has pitched it against the progress of the PDP. This is shameful, inexplicable and unfortunate as the PDP in 16 years did not interfere with internal affairs of opposition political parties or used instruments of state to shutdown their secretariats due to internal crisis or for anything whatsoever. We allowed all parties in the Country to strive and stabilize our democracy for which the APC is the primary beneficiary of in the 2015 General Elections.”

The PDP said that “these harassments and intimidation of the APC led administration against opposition in Nigeria portends grave danger for democracy at large; and we demand as a matter of urgency, the unconditional reopening of the National Secretariat of the PDP to allow staff access into their offices to carry out the duties of holding the government in power accountable.

“In the same vein, we pray the Appeal Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State to deliver the Reserved Judgment on the Party’s Leadership issues pending before it to allow the PDP concentrate on its rebuilding process and to provide alternative governance in the Country. It is no gainsaying that any democracy without a viable opposition is considered a dictatorship, unstable, unhealthy and a recipe for anarchy.

“We also urge the National Judicial Council (NJC) to urgently do the needful in respect of the petition submitted against the Special Appeal Panel of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division by Ali Modu Sheriff. The current petition like the two previous ones, is another delay tactics he devised with his collaborators against justice to the PDP and its membership nationwide.”