PDP, APC at Loggerheads over Delay in Constitution of Cabinet

Tobi Soniyi and Adedayo Akinwale

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressive Congress (APC) are at logerheads over delay by President Muhaamadu Buhari to constitute his cabinet.

PDP alleged that there was infighting within the APC and the presidency.

In a statement Saturday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, alleged that the infighting was about positions.

Ologbondiyan described the APC as a sanctuary of “power mongers and looters.”

According to him, the bitter fighting and hostilities in the presidency is as a result of the confusion that had enveloped the APC and the Buhari Presidency over the brazen stealing of the presidential mandate that Nigerians freely gave to the PDP and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar in the February 23, presidential election.

He said: “The vicious fight for positions as ‘booty’ of a stolen mandate further exposes the APC and the cabal in the Buhari Presidency as power mongers who are only interested in power grabbing, treasury looting and plundering of our national patrimony and not in the welfare of Nigerians.

“Nigerians watched as a faction within the power-grabbing APC, in a loud protest in our nation’s seat of power, Abuja, earlier in the week, listed the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, Mr. President’s cousin, Mamman Daura and his long-standing friend, Isa Funtua as members of the said cabal that have appropriated the Presidency and held President Buhari hostage.

“In a counter-protest, the supporters of the cabal had also accused a prominent APC governor of a north-west state and his ‘brother’, who is a prominent former minister and former governor of a south-south state, as those fanning the embers of discord in the presidential villa to achieve their desperate ambition for power in 2023.”

The PDP spokesman said the alleged infighting “is a confirmation of Buhari’s incompetence and leadership failure. The harsh reality is that, with the situation at hand, there is no hope in sight for our nation under the APC and the Buhari presidency.”

In its reaction, the APC called on the PDP to do better as opposition by engaging it on issues of good governance and matters that would better the lives of the people.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Lanre Issa-Onilu, APC said that PDP’s allegation of ‘infighting’ within the APC and the Presidency over appointment was the latest of shameful interventions of PDP in the nation’s affairs.

He asked how long it would take PDP to learn proper opposition politics.

He said that judging by the latest antics and laughable allegations of the PDP it was clear that the party had again resumed its idle chatter and specious remarks.

The ruling party said that while the APC did not owe the PDP any explanation of the modalities for appointments, it however assured Nigerians that the administration would always appoint deserving individuals “who share our progressive ideals and change agenda into positions.”

He said the accusation “is coming from the PDP that failed to rally its members to support its own candidates for principal offices at the National Assembly.

“Perhaps, to the delusional PDP, it is a sign of division within our rank to successfully mobilize our members behind our candidates for the National Assembly election. “In other words, PDP had proved ultimate unity within its rank with several of its members disregarding the directive to vote for its adopted candidates. Here you have a party wallowing in denial.

“As contained in PDP’s latest statement, odious practices like looting, booty sharing and power-grabbing are not practices that the APC wishes to continue from the wasted PDP years.”

The APC said that Nigerians voted against these devious practices of PDP in 2015 and 2019 and opted for change which APC represents.