The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday reiterated its earlier position that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is a party of bloodthirsty, religious and ethnic bigots that are hell bent on causing mayhem.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, PDP said it is vindicated by the recent position an Islamic cleric and a religious group that it said exposed the APC’s plot to balkanize the country.
According to Metuh, “Now that an Islamic cleric, Ambassador Yusuf Garba and the Religious Equity Promotion Council (REPC) have exposed the evil plot by the APC to balkanize our nation along religious lines by imposing an Islamic agenda just like the Egypt Muslim Brotherhood, the PDP wishes to make it manifest to all Nigerians to stand up and resist this evil machination by enemies of our dear country.
“This revelation which came even from Muslims goes to vindicate the PDP and confirm our earlier stand that the APC is a party of bloodthirsty, religious and ethnic bigots averse to the unity of the country and the peaceful co-existence of our people.
“This explains the reason the APC has been promoting violence, divisions and blood-letting across the country; which are all aimed at making the people lose faith in the Nigerian project; set the ground for massive mayhem, bloodletting and ultimately balkanize our country.
“Nigerians are now no longer at loss on the real reason the APC has been desperate to hold power. They now know why they have been moving round the country organizing protests and investing heavily in planting seeds of discord and disagreements among the people using their stock-in-trade of propaganda, deceit, falsehood and doomsday prophesies.
“This revelation also explains why they have been arming thugs to disrupt electoral processes. A case in point being the importation of hundreds of armed thugs to disrupt the Anambra governorship election last December.
“But for the police which arrested some of the thugs, the APC would have unleashed mayhem on the state and use it as a test for its larger plan in the 2015 general elections”.
The ruling party however reminded the APC chieftains that “Nigerians are no fools”, saying that “Genuine Muslims” know that Islam stands for peace.
It also warned that any attempt to use religion to divide the country must be resisted. Metuh stated further, “We thank all Nigerians, especially true Muslims for exposing and rejecting the APC and its devilish plot.
“Now that their plot has been exposed, we advice the APC to retrace their steps and purge themselves of their evil machinations.
“In the PDP, it is our unshakable creed that Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians irrespective of religious, tribal, ethnic or regional affiliations.
“This country belongs to Muslims, Christians and citizens of other religious persuasions alike and our people are free to live and work in any part of the country and aspire for any office irrespective of religious or ethnic affiliations”.
The PDP vowed to remain committed to national unity as “encapsulated in our manifesto and the ideals of our founding fathers and on that note will resist anything that seeks to balkanize our country and cause divisions among our people.
“The PDP is a party that is built on the principles of freedom, equality, justice and service. In this great party, considerations are not made based on religious, tribal or ethnic interests.
“Here, there are neither Christians nor Muslims; Hausas nor Yorubas; Fulanis nor Ijaws; Igalas nor Igbos and so on. The PDP remains a large family with enough room to accommodate all opinions and interests without compromising the national interest.
“We therefore call on all Nigerians to stand up and defend the unity of our dear nation and resist attempts by the APC to destroy our common heritage as a people”.
