By Dirisu Yakubu

ABUJA-The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has urged the All Progressives Congress, APC, to take the blame for any harm that may befall former Vice President Abubakar Atiku or any of the PDP Presidential aspirants ahead of the 2019 general elections.

The party’s position is not unconnected with the alleged threats to the life of Atiku, who last week petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari to come to his aide and save his family from danger.

In a statement issued by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party called for a thorough inquest to unravel those behind the threats.

“The PDP do not take these threats as a ruse and we demand an open inquest into all the issues raised by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in his petition to President Buhari.

“It is public knowledge that the APC has been on frenetic mode over the calibre and popularity of Presidential aspirants arraying in our party platform.

“The APC knows that President Buhari is no match for any of our aspirants hence the resort to violence, harassment and death threats, with a view to frighten and put our presidential aspirants out of circulation ahead of the 2019 elections.

“Nigerians are already aware of how the APC-led government has been using security and anti-corruption agencies, particularly the Police, Department of State Services, DSS, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to harass and hound presidential hopefuls and perceived political opponents of the President, as well as the members of our party on various trumped-up allegations and charges.

“Only last week, the APC unleashed their thugs to attack our national secretariat with charms and dangerous weapons and attempted to disrupt our activities. This is in addition to series of other attacks on our members in various parts of the country by APC- sponsored thugs,” the statement read in part.

The party further noted that no amount of threat or intimidation would make it back out of its determination to win the 2019 elections to better the lot of Nigerians.

The PDP wants the APC to note that, in all, it is fighting a lost battle. The PDP family will never be cowed or intimidated by the evil machinations of the APC as we stand shoulder to shoulder with majority of Nigerians, across the board, in this national emergency of ending the misrule of the Buhari-led administration, which has caused so much harm to our dear nation.