BY SIMON       EBEGBULEM

BENIN—THE National leadership of All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday in Benin City, Edo State, warned that the activities of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers, Adamawa, Nasarawa and Edo States were capable of destroying the nation’s democracy.

It accused the PDP of being desperate for power in APC-controlled states, but warned that it would not fold its arms and allow the PDP destabilise states controlled by the party, regretting that President Goodluck Jonathan intends to add more crisis when states in the North-East were still battling with terrorists.

The party’s leaders made the allegation when they paid a solidarity visit to Governor Adams Oshiomhole at Government House, Benin.

The leaders on the visit included the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, former governor of Abia State, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, former governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajamila, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir El Rufai and APC National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

Oyegun who was reacting to the crisis in the state House of Assembly, maintained that with the unstable political scenarios in states of Rivers, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Kano and now Edo state, it was clear to the opposition party that the forces of the federal government and the PDP were out to destabilize the APC with “a properly mapped out war against the APC and to destabilize it”.

According to him, “ what is going on and what the party has come to realize is that there is a properly mapped out war against the APC, to destabilize the APC. While you are going through your travails here we also trying to contain the fires that have been emitting in Adamawa, we are preparing for the one they are promising in Nasarawa state and so on and so forth and the bombs have started exploding in Kano”.

Oyegun further carpeted the federal government for tagging the APC as supporters of the Boko Haram sect, insisting that in spite of the intimidation the leadership and members of the fold would continue to cooperate in the fight against the scourge of security challenges threatening the unity of the country.

He assured governor Oshiomhole that the party is solidly behind him and the 15 APC lawmakers in the state House of Assembly, describing as regrettable the refusal by PDP lawmakers in the state to obey court order “because they felt they have Federal might but they forgot that the might of the people is greater”.

He said “We came to solidarize with you. Mr. Governor sir, after very due consideration at a meeting we held only on Thursdays we decided to come and tell you that it was immediate and urgency that we pay a visit to you, to come and tell you and all the legislators that we know all you have been passing through, we understand what you have been passing through.

“We are glad at the way you have been managing what you have been passing through. For the simple reason to use your own phrase this kind of rascality, indiscipline and the rest of it must be seen to be reverted. This level of rascality, this level of undermining the institutions on which this nation depends can no longer be tolerated.

“There must be consequences and it will make them know very clearly that their actions are going to be visited with consequences, pointing out that “the fact that they are desperate means that they are afraid. Against all odds you have stood firm and we want to thank you that these is the new spirit of the new APC, for the simple reason that you are not alone; that the most current attack and destabilize APC governments and governors.

“Before you was of course the imitable Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers state whose travails are still far from being over but I am glad and surprised today when he said that he was just from a security council meeting. At least God he now attends such meetings with you” he stated.

Responding Governor Oshiomhole said he would not be distracted by the activities of the PDP lawmakers and the national leadership of the party.

While thanking the party leaders for their sense of commitment and visit to the state, he said by the action of the embattled PDP lawmakers, they were out to procure 13 out of the 24 members in the house to block every executive bill, frustrate 2015 budget and equally put a stop to the developmental initiatives of government in the state.

“Because the PDP is so frightened by our record of achievements and the fact that everyday they lament that my crime is that whereas people knew that this state was grossly mismanaged they were unable to put scale on the level of mismanagement but each time they see the six lane roads across Benin; the huge urban renewal programme we sustained, the massive development, health centers free education up to secondary school level, free buses services for pupils whether they are private or public schools people can now imagine how much they have lost in ten years”.

He maintained that as long as this generation of Edo people is alive the PDP has no hope in Edo state, stressing that all they are doing is simply designed to destabilize the state, adding that PDP legislators were the ones that are in contempt of the courts after they allegedly collected “about N75 million to defect from the APC to the PDP and o prosecute their evil plot against the state and the people”