By Emeka Nze Abuja
Th e Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to “apologise to Nigerians for their serial lies, inciting and hate speeches with which our people were deceived into believing that they had something to off er the country before and after they came to offi ce.” Th e PDP in a statement yesterday by the party spokesman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, also urged APC to “undergo the serious ritual of self-purgation without which there will be a constant relapse into their goebbellian tactics as we continue to witness.”
According to the statement, “the leadership of the PDP is taken aback over the recent vituperation by the Honourable Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in which he accused opposition in the country as being responsible for hate speeches, disinformation and fake news. How convenient! “Th is is another lie from Lai Mohammed!! Mr. Minister is invited to review his past speeches/statements as Spokesman of opposition ACN/ APC and then he will agree with us that the APC leaders/members are the architect and sustainers of hate speeches in our dear Country, Nigeria. “In case Lai Mohammed has forgotten, let us remind him and his parties, the ACN & APC that in their desperate quest to grab power by all means, organized and carried out series of campaigns of calumny as opposition designed to mislead the public, discredit the Person and Offi ce of past PDP led administrations especially, that of the immediate past President, Dr. Goodluck E. Jonathan, in order to cause disaff ection amongst Nigerians against his government.
‘”Alhaji Lai Mohammed as the Spokesman of ACN at a press conference in April 2013 raised a false alarm alleging that the federal government under President Jonathan had awarded an oil pipeline protection contract to serve as a smokescreen in funding activities that would create chaos in the South-West region. Of course, it turned out that no such contract was ever awarded by the Jonathan administration. “Still in April 2013, the ACN Spokesman now Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed mischievously alleged that President Jonathan had issued a Presidential Directive targeted at witch-hunting the Former Governor of Lagos State and Leader of the ACN , Bola Tinubu in order to stop the Merger of the Party with other political parties.
Th is also turned out to be a hoax. “Also before the 2015 General Elections, the Chairman of APC, Chief John Oyegun in November 2014, vowed to form a parallel government if the Elections were rigged. His statement was later reechoed by the Presidential Campaign Director-General of the APC, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, and now Minister for Transport. Talk about distractions, intimidation, harassments and hate speeches, and that defi nes the APC leaders and members. “Now that it appears that cliché is well worn out they must fi nd so called hate speeches by the opposition to blame for their woes. “Our advice to the APC Government is that it should concentrate on doing the business of the people and to endeavor to speak the truth always. Lies can take you thus far but in the end it cannot be an alternative to the truth.”
