Berates Clark over comment

LAGOS — The National Convention Committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has assured delegates to the 3rd national convention of the party holding in Lagos between December 10 and11 of adequate security.

The committee said in a statement in Lagos, yesterday, that it was collaborating with the Lagos State Government (the host) and all relevant security agencies to put in place adequate arrangements aimed at ensuring security of delegates and reducing the burden of traffic congestion throughout the period of the convention.

Newly Elected National Chairman of APC Odigie-Oyegun at APC National Convention in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.

According to the committee, the relevant authorities in the state have mapped out strategies to ease traffic congestion around the venue of the convention, while adequate arrangements have also been made for the transportation of delegates from their hotels to the designated accreditation centres and the venue of the convention at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.

The arrangements include but not limited to diversion of traffic in some routes and restriction of vehicular movements in some areas.

Delegates are, therefore, urged to cooperate with the security and traffic management officials during the period of the convention, while members of the public who might be inconvenienced as a result of the diversion are enjoined to see it as part of the needed sacrifice for the advancement of our democracy.

The committee then promised to make the convention, which features the election of the APC presidential flag-bearer, a reference point in the history of successful conventions in the country.

…berates Clark over comment

Meanwhile, the party has described the comment by Chief Edwin Clark, that if the opposition has its way it can poison or kill President Goodluck Jonathan just to take power, as absurd, incendiary and unbecoming of an elder statesman of the chief’s stature.

In a statement in Lagos, yesterday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said Chief Clark’s comment, which was widely reported by newspapers, is the latest in a string of statements by President Jonathan’s supporters that are overheating the polity ahead of the 2015 general elections and are even threatening the peace and unity of the country.

It said: “We have waited for several days to give Chief Clark the opportunity to deny making such a fallacious statement, but he has not done so, which means he was not misquoted and that he indeed meant what he said.

“It is time for the President himself to call his supporters to order for the sake of the peace and unity of our dear nation. They have been threatening fire and brimstone if the President is not re-elected in 2015, as if elections are won by threats. One has even gone as far as saying there will blood on the streets if the President is not re-elected.”

APC said in making his dangerous comment, Chief Clark probably mistook the party for the PDP, which has been described as the nest of killers.

According to APC, “our party has never and will never contemplate killing or poisoning President Jonathan just to take power, as Chief Clark carelessly said. We are neither a violent nor an anarchic party. We do not seek power by any means other than through the ballot box. Therefore we reject, totally, the statement by Chief Clark.