PDP disowns Dokpesi’s apology

The National leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has disowned the appology tendered by the Chairman of the party’s National Conference Planning Committee, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, describung it as his personal opinion.

The party, through its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, stated this in Abuja on Wednesday, whike speaking with journalists.

According to Metuh, Dokpesi’s statement is not the official position of the party since he is not a member of its National Executive Committee, insisting that the founding chairman of Daar Communications can only speak in his personal capacity.

Dismissing Dokpesi’s assertion that the party erred when it fielded former President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 presidential race, Metuh said the decision was approved by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Caucus.

“In addition, the Constitution of the party allows a sitting president the chance to exercise his personal right to run for a second term if he so desires”, Metuh said.

The PDP spokesman also debunked insuations that the party regretted its action asking, “how can you regret a decision taken when everyone was there, the NWC, NEC and the national caucus?

“What are we talking about? Everybody was conscious of the decision; nobody was coerced into supporting the position.”

Metuh however said it was not the time to indulge in the blame game, as the task of repositioning the party is a collective task, adding that the party is being repositioned based on the Senator Ike Ekweremadu’s report to reclaim the party’s lost glory.

It will be recalled that Chief Dokpesi, at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, had apologised on behalf of the PDP over what he called mistakes made by the party and its ability to meet the aspirations of Nigerians in the 16 years in was in power. He also said fielding former President Jonathan in 2011 and 2015 was one of the many mistakes mace by the former ruling party.

The PDP, also on Wednesday, challenged newly inaugurated members of President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet to quickly settle down and focus on the economy.

According to the PDP, the Buhari administration has continued to dramatised routine processes and procedures, adding that the same was evident in the pro-longed swearing in ceremony of the minsiters.

In a statement in Abuja by Metuh, the party said the much-expected assignment of portfolios to the ministers did not inspire confidence that there was indeed any change being introduced in the system, calling on the APC led federal government to immediately resolve the issues bordering on the actual position of the nation’s economy and the direction it is pursuing.

The PDP also alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari and his Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had initially disagreed on the state of the nation’s economy.

He said: “Whereas President Buhari had announced that the nation is bankrupt to the extent that he cannot pay his ministers, his new Minister of Information had contradicted him directly by stating how the government is buoyant and ready to deploy $2.5 billion infrastructure fund, saved N1.4 trillion with another N2.5 trillion ready as special intervention fund, which goes to say that the country is not actually broke.

The party called on the new ministers to note the challenge before them regarding the image of the country which the APC government has changed from being the ‘Heart of Africa’ and a country of ‘Good people, Great nation’ to that of ‘Corrupt people, Broke nation.’

“Furthermore, we counsel the ministers, especially those who will be the face of the government, to note that the campaigns are over.”

The PDP statement said Nigerians would no longer condone alleged propaganda, lies and deceit but expect a responsible dissemination based on truth, honesty and openness from the government.

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