PDP Now Wears Long, Sad Face– Adamu

The Peoples Democratic Party has ridiculed the emergence of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, saying he has a N15 billion case of corruption to clear.
The PDP was reacting to an earlier statement on Sunday by Adamu during his acceptance speech that the major opposition party was wearing a long, sad face because of the successful APC national convention.

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Debo Ologunagba, said that the new APC National Chairman, Abdulahi was arraigned for alleged theft of N15 billion.
The PDP challenged Senator Abdullahi and other leaders of the APC to clear the corruption charges against them.

“The Peoples Democratic Party mocks the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the imposition of Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, a man who was arraigned in Court on 149-count charge of alleged fraudulent award of contracts and stealing of public funds estimated at N15 billion, as its National Chairman.
“The PDP describes the APC jamboree in the name of a National Convention as a Convention of lies, celebration of illegality, corruption and arrogance in failure adding that any leadership birthed through such process can only be overtly corrupt, debauch and illegal. 

“It is clear that with the combination of the corrupt, deceitful and rudderless Buhari-led APC government and the illegitimate Abdullahi Adamu-led party leadership, corruption, economic hardship and rudderlessness in the APC government will worsen in our country in the remaining one year of the APC in government.”

The PDP spokesman said further that the national leadership of the APC clearly confirmed that President Buhari has not been committed to the fight against corruption.

He further challenged Abdulahi to tell Nigerians why he allegedly hid under technicalities to avoid trial at the Federal High Court, Lafia, Nasarawa State.
 “The composition of the APC national leadership is a clear confirmation that President Buhari has never been committed to the fight against corruption as well as his willingness to further open our national vaults to ravenous treasury looters in the APC.
“The new APC Chairman should inform Nigerians why he was not courageous enough to submit himself to trial at the Federal High Court, Lafia, Nasarawa State rather than hide under technicalities. Senator Adamu should therefore come clean to Nigerians on the said case before parading himself as a saint.
“It is therefore pathetic to see Sen. Adamu showboating on stage to impress his puppet master by attempting to denigrate other Nigerians and our great Party, the PDP. 

“Our Party has only pity for Sen. Adamu and does not intend to confer him an undue relevance with a response. Sen. Adamu should however be conscious of the fact that time does not run against the State in criminal matters. He should therefore not have any illusion that being an APC Chairman will avail him a perpetual cover.

“Moreover, it was appalling to see APC leaders come out one after the other at their national jamboree to spew out lies and false performance claims on the economy, infrastructure and security even in the face of biting economic hardship, high cost of living, excruciating fuel emergency, lingering crisis in the education sector and escalated insecurity that was happening real time and simultaneously when the ridiculous claims of achievement were being made.” He added 
He restated the PDP’s position of the PDP that the “purported APC National Working Committee (NWC) does not have the legitimacy of office as the process that produced it under the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) remains unconstitutional and flawed.”

He cautioned aspirants intending to participate in the 2023 general elections under the APC to note that they are on a journey to nowhere with the APC.

PDP Now Wears Long, Sad Face – Adamu 

It could be recalled that the new national chairman of APC Senator Adamu fired the first salvo when in his acceptance speech said that the PDP and other opposition elements were expecting to make a political fortune from an anticipated crisis during the convention.

According to him, “As we conclude this very successful convention of our great party, I know that our opponents in PDP and other opposition parties are now sulking, wearing long faces of sadness, bewilderment and dismay. 

“They had been hoping and praying to make a fortune out of our misfortunes. They were also hoping and praying to capitalize on the assumed failures of our party to reap political benefits.”

It could be recalled that Adamu was a founding member of the PDP, who was a two-term PDP Governor of Nasarawa State and secretary of the Board of Trustees of the PDP and  Senator of the Federal Republic under the PDP. He only defected to the APC in 2014 at the twilight of the Presudent Jonathan’s Administration.

The newly elected national secretary of the APC, Senator Iyiola Omisore, was a PDP Senator representing Osun East from 2003 to 2011. He was also Osun State’s deputy governor on the platform of the PDP.
He contested for Osun governorship on PDP platform and lost to Rauf Aregbesola on August 9, 2014.

The long list of politicians with PDP foundation in control at the  APC include:  Barr Festus Fuanter (Plateau State), deputy national secretary; Muazu  Bawa Rjau Niger State, national vice chairman (North-Central); Mustapha Salihu (Adamawa State), national vice chairman (North  East); Barr Ahmed  El-Marzuk (Katsina State), national legal adviser; Uguru Matthew Ofoka (Ebonyi State), national treasurer; Senator Abubakar Maikafi (Bauchi State), national auditor, Dr Betta Edu (Cross River), national women leader; Barr  F.N. Nwosu (Abia State), national welfare secretary, and Nze Chidi Duru (Anambra State), deputy national organizing secretary.
Adamu who emerged through a consensus arrangement after all the other six contestants were prevailed upon to step down for him pleaded with all aspirants to “show maturity and good sportsmanship and accept the outcome of this convention with grace.”

He stressed that even though they did not achieve their ambitions at the convention, a good number of them will still serve the party and the country in several other positions of responsibility.

The APC National Chairman said that the party has fulfilled its covenant with Nigerians. “We are however satisfied that APC has fulfilled its covenant with the Nigerian people. 

“Of the three main pillars of its promises to the Nigerian people in 2015, that is, security, economy and anti-corruption, much progress has been recorded in all three areas and many more. “APC is set to do much, much more when Nigerians continue to bestow on us their love, support and confidence in next year’s general elections.”
He said that no administration has the record of  the APC in the area of the provision of critical infrastructure which were erstwhile considered impossible in the country.