The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described critics of its directive
\nto its National Assembly members to block all legislative proposals as
\nthose who are either ignorant of the workings of democracy or those who
\nhave chosen to play to the gallery for pecuniary gains.<\/p>\n
\u201dEther way, these critics have rushed to judgment without even taking time
\nto study the directive, without understanding that governance is about
\npeople, and without caring about the principles of fairness, justice and
\nequity, and they should cover their faces in shame,\u201d the party said in a
\nstatement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its Interim National Publicity
\nSecretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.<\/p>\n
\u201dWe hereby reiterate the directive, which is a product of deep thinking
\nand robust debate within our party\u2019s NEC to save our democracy, and we
\ncommend our members in the National Assembly for their unequivocal support
\nfor our stand, and for understanding that filibustering or legislative
\nnon-cooperation are veritable tools of democracy,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n
APC said the directive is already yielding result, as members of the Save
\nRivers Movement (SRM) were able to stage a peaceful rally on Saturday, for
\nthe first time in a long time, without being attacked by hired
\nex-militants, because the Inspector-General of Police directed the police
\nto provide protection for the rally.<\/p>\n
\u201dThis is exactly what we are saying, that Nigerians, irrespective of their
\nparty leaning, who wish to stage a peaceful protest anywhere in the
\ncountry must be able to do so without the police looking away while hired
\ngoons attack them. It is all about justice, fairness and equity, without
\nwhich democracy will not thrive. We will be watching to see if what
\nhappened on Saturday represents a paradigm shift in Rivers or it is just a
\nflash in the pan,\u201d the party said<\/p>\n
APC said there is nothing anti-democratic, anti-people or inciting about
\nthe directive, which is aimed at ending the reign of impunity in Rivers
\nstate before its spreads to other parts of the country and truncates the
\nnation\u2019s democracy, wondering why it is so difficult for the President to
\nact, for almost a year, as a part of the country he was elected to govern
\ngoes up in flames.<\/p>\n
The party said already, copy cat attacks and intimidation of APC members
\nhave been launched by the government and the police in Gombe, because they
\nhave been watching the impunity being committed in Rivers.<\/p>\n
\u201dAll over Gombe, our party flags, billboards and posters are being
\nvandalized by hoodlums aided and abetted by the police. Our youth
\nsupporters are being arrested while our members are being threatened by
\nthe police and the state government officials.<\/p>\n
\u201dFrom Rivers, this reign of impunity has spread to Gombe. Who knows where
\nthe train of impunity is heading to next. Yet, some so-called fickle
\nanalysts, some chameleonic activists who willingly pit their tents with
\nthe highest bidder, some increasingly irrelevant organisations and some
\npolitical parties who are content with the crumbs that fall off the table
\nof the ruling party have the temerity to condemn a directive they do not
\nunderstand.<\/p>\n
\u201dThey say the non-approval of the 2014 budget will pauperize Nigerians, as
\nif the yearly ritual of budget passing since 1999 has benefitted anyone
\nbut the fat cats. In any case, of what use is a budget when the lives of
\ncitizens are at stake? Are budgets not made for the people? Do they
\nunderstand that even the budgets are based largely on earnings from oil,
\nwhich we cannot even produce if the violence in Rivers escalates and
\nspreads to other oil-producing states?<\/p>\n
\u201dThey say our directive is anti-people without understanding that those
\nwho are being daily intimidated, beaten and shot in Rivers are also
\nNigerians. They say we are anti-democratic without understanding that
\ndemocracy cannot thrive in an atmosphere of impunity, the like of which we
\nhave in Rivers.<\/p>\n
\u201dWhere were these same critics when the impudent police commissioner in
\nRivers, egged on by a conniving presidency, thumbed his nose at the
\nConstitution by turning himself to the de facto Governor of the state and
\nrefusing to subordinate himself to the elected Governor who is the chief
\nsecurity officer of his state? Where were these critics when a serving
\nSenator was shot perhaps by the police? Where were these critics when
\nwomen and children were teargassed and innocent civilians beaten black and
\nblue? Did they raise any voice against the attack on journalists whose
\noffence was that they went to cover a rally?<\/p>\n
\u201dThe APC, as a party, cannot be intimidated by the antics of those who
\nwill have no qualms elevating self interest above public interest, by
\nthose who believe their cheap criticism will help insert their snouts into
\nthe nectar of filthy lucre.<\/p>\n
\u201dTherefore, while we acknowledge the so-called critics\u2019 right to express
\ntheir opinions on our directive, we disagree with them, in the exercise of
\nour own rights, and here reiterate the directive, which goes thus: \u2018In
\nview of the joint resolutions of the National Assembly on Rivers State,
\nand other constitutional breaches by the Presidency, the APC hereby
\ndirects its members in the National Assembly to block all legislative
\nproposals, including the 2014 budget and confirmation of all nominees to
\nmilitary and civilian positions to public office, until the rule of law
\nand constitutionalism is restored in Rivers State in particular, and
\nNigeria in general\u2019,\u201d the party said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described critics of its directive to its National Assembly members to block all legislative proposals as those who are either ignorant of the workings…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19578,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n