By Jude Opara, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rubbished the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for again postponing its National Convention earlier scheduled to take place on February 26.

In a statement issued by its spokesman Debo Ologunagba, the PDP explained that the continued inability of the APC to conduct a routine National Convention is an indication that the party is unable to manage itself, adding that such is the reason all sectors of the country’s national life have been in the shambolic state under what it called “the incompetent, corrupt, rudderless and overtly confused APC administration”.

The PDP added that the postponement of the APC National Convention has further justifed its conclusion that the APC is not a political party but a “Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV)” of strange bedfellows, political buccaneers and ferocious power mongers on a mission to destroy the country.

It further argued that it is evident that the APC, which cannot conduct its own internal affairs, should not be expected to effectivelly manage the affairs of a big country like Nigeria.

The statement reads in parts; “The APC is a perfect example of failure both as a party and government, unable to conduct a simple National Convention in two years. It has become a Russian Roulette with the unending request for extension of time to undertake a routine statutory political activity.”

“It is not surprising that the APC, a party of backstabbers again postponed its National Convention already scheduled for February 26, 2022. It saying  is rather saddening how a set of confused, greedy, deceitful, hard-heartened and self-centred individuals who cannot run a creditable organization foisted themselves in power and plunged our nation into the economic, security and social mess that the country faced today”.

It further described the APC as a vacuous political contraption without a soul, and peopled by “political warlords” without conscience and operating without rules, saying that the APC is a bunch of inchoate sailors clobbered together for remote personal gain; operating without a Board of Trustees (BoT) and a National Working Committee (NWC). It exists in violation of rules while constituting itself to a threat to the national unity and corporate existence as a nation.

According to the statement, APC’s postponement had always been fallout of the horrible infighting, backbiting and gang war by “political bandits” who are desperate for power and access to our national treasury, stressing that that explains why their congresses and other activities are always marred by violence, bloodletting and killings.

The main opposition party also said that the APC is not capable of holding a National Convention having become defunct since December 8, 2020, when it dissolved all its states, zonal and national party structures and set up an “illegal contrivance” called the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) led by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State.

It added that the activities of the APC CECPC invalid and unconstitutional by virtue of Section 183 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which bars a sitting governor from holding “any other executive office” in any capacity whatsoever while serving as a state governor.

It added that the failure of the APC to hold a National Convention is, therefore, a clear warning to those aspiring for various positions in the 2023 election on its platform to note that with the APC, stressing that they are on a journey to nowhere.

Ologunagba claimed that the only way the APC can legitimately participate in the 2023 general elections is to re-apply to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for fresh registration as a political party.

The PDP then urged Nigerians whom he said are yearning for the return of good governance to look its way, promising that they can again guarantee their security, economic prosperity, infrastructural development, employment, food security and national cohesion which it said they experienced in the 16 when they were in government.