Opposition engaging in dangerous mind game’

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said All Progressives Congress (APC) has been confronted with the reality of failure in the forthcoming general elections.This, the PDP said, had made the APC to intensify its frenzied deployment of false alarms aimed at throwing the polity into chaos and wreck the electoral process

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh, in a statement yesterday said: “Having been exposed in its hypocrisy, lies and empty promises, the APC in obvious frustration is now engaged in dangerous mind game, using wild allegations in a bid to cause panic, balkanize the nation and create the way for a reign of anarchy in the country.

“For the APC, it has become a matter of ‘if we cannot have it, then let’s destroy it’. In the last couple of weeks, this opposition party and its leaders have engaged in dishing out dangerous false alarms in a bid to discredit the electoral process, heighten tension, create fear in the minds of the people and push the polity to the brinks.

“For instance, how else would one explain the false alarm by the leader of the opposition, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on Thursday, March 12, 2015 alleging that there were plots to assassinate him? A phantom claim, which was followed on Sunday, March 15 by the APC in a statement that there were, plans to kill its presidential flag bearer, General Muhammadu Buhari.

“Also, on the same March 15, the APC in a yet another statement falsely claimed that the Federal Government paid N9 billion to ethnic militias to foment trouble, before, during and after the general elections. This was immediately followed by a release on Monday, March 16, in which the opposition, in its unrelenting effort to further discredit the process, alleged that the Federal Government had hired an Israeli expert, Gyora Berger to sabotage use of card readers on election day.

“In the same vein, on March 4, 2015, the APC released a false alarm claiming that there were plots by the Federal Government to frame its leaders and sensitive Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials and manipulate the electoral process. This is in addition to another statement on March 9 in which it alleged plots to harass its financiers and cripple its operations ahead of elections.

“We are aware that the APC has lined up many of such false allegations and nuisance alarms, which would be methodologically released to the public to swell the tension as the elections draw nearer.

“APC’s history of lies has become legendary. Nigerians may recall that this party in its penchant for deceit had in June 2014 alleged that a plane carrying Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, to attend a rally in Ekiti State to support Governor Kayode Fayemi’s re-election bid was denied landing permission in Akure, only for Kwankwaso’s Director of Press Affairs, Baba Dantiye, to announce that his boss was at another event in Kano and had no plans to travel to Ekiti State.

“It is indeed clear that the APC has no positive agenda for Nigeria but on a mission to grab power at all cost, failing which it has perfected plots to unleash mayhem and destabilize the nation.

“We, therefore, alert the entire nation, especially security agencies, electoral officials and our members to be vigilant as these allegations could indeed be a subterfuge by the APC to cover a grand plot to unbridle violence on innocent citizens,” the party said.

The PDP also urged its members to remain focused on the campaigns and not allow themselves to be distracted, especially seeing that it was enjoying the support and confidence of majority of Nigerians. The party restated its commitment to issue-driven campaign leveraging on the enviable records of achievements of its standard bearer, President Goodluck Jonathan.