The new Peoples Democratic Party bloc in the All Progressives Congress has kicked against the linking of Senate President Bukola Saraki and Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara to the Offa banks robberies.
The group in a statement on Monday by its leader, Kawu Baraje, said it had suspended its reconciliation talks with the APC and the Presidency, citing the Police indictment of Saraki and Ahmed, in the Offa banks robberies, as one of the reasons for the suspension of the talks.
The nPDP had last week met with Osinbajo. It was also scheduled to attend a meeting with the Vice-President on Monday (yesterday).
The Monday meeting was supposed to be attended by the APC Deputy National Chairman, Lawal Shaibu, and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, but the nPDP, in the statement by Baraje said the Presidency and the APC were not interested in reconciliation.
It stated that despite the complaints of its members, the APC went ahead to approve congresses of states, where its members were not well treated.
Baraje stated, “Nigerians may further recall that a team from the former nPDP led by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and four others, were to meet with the Vice- President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, today (Monday).
“However, while we are truly and earnestly committed to achieving reconciliation, harmony, truce and cohesion in the APC as we approach the 2019 general election, it appears that the Presidency is not interested in the talks and that they may have been negotiating in bad faith.
“We were alarmed that immediately after our meeting with the Vice-President last week, the Presidency misrepresented what transpired at the meeting by trying to blackmail some of the principal actors involved in the discussions in a national daily.
“Similarly, the leadership of the party (APC) went ahead to ratify all the congresses from wards, local governments, states and zones where many of our members have complaints, effectively presenting us with a fait accompli.”
He added, “His Excellency, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and His Excellency, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, the Governor of Kwara State, both of whom attended the meeting with the Vice-President on Monday, May 28, 2018, have suddenly been accused of sponsoring armed robbery by the Police under the directives of the Presidency.”
He said that it recognised the powers of the Police to conduct criminal investigations, but he condemned what he called “an attempt to undermine, caricature and humiliate the institution of the legislature.”
The nPDP leader added that “It appears that there is a fouled and toxic atmosphere and environment of intimidation and threat to life in which we now find ourselves which may no longer be conducive for members of the former nPDP to continue with the talks.”
Baraje stated, “The nPDP leadership has decided to brief our members on the unfortunate development and get a fresh mandate if good faith returns to the discussions.”
