CHIEF Don Etiebet, national chairman of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), dismisses the claim that the opposition forces in the country are virtually dormant.
I don’t think so. The opposition in Nigeria is not dormant at all because we in the ANPP, for instance, have continued to point out what is wrong with this government. We have criticised the policies and programmes of this government that are clearly anti-people. And in one or two situations where they (government) did what we considered right like in the case of the state of emergency declared in Plateau State, we commended them. We had to do that because people’s lives were involved. People were being killed and any responsible government or political organisation like the ANPP should endorse any attempt to halt such killings.
When I came to the National Assembly to support the move for the declaration of a state of emergency in Plateau, a lot of people were surprised that the ANPP could take such step as a party in the opposition but like I said earlier, we had to do that to curtail the activities of those who were killing human beings.
What happened in Kano State being an ANPP controlled state was very disturbing and because we want the peace and security of the nation, we backed the PDP government.
Another lesson I think we (ANPP) have taught opposition (PDP) is that as a party, the ANPP has an open mind. When we are criticising, we are not criticising for the sake of it but we do that very constructively. Our criticisms are not destructive but corrective. That way, the people of this country will be properly governed.
So, I will appeal to those who are saying that the ANPP and the other political parties in the CNPP group are not living up to their democratic responsibilities to have a rethink and check their records.
The same opposition being accused of dormancy is the same opposition that worked together with the labour unions to stop this government from increasing the price of fuel. The same opposition went out to demonstrate against all intimidation from the PDP and when they were dispersed with tear gas, the people said nothing.
It is not going to be possible because in a democracy, opposition is an essential ingredient for the survival of the concept called democracy. In a democracy, I dare say that no government can kill the opposition. There would be uproar, intimidation here and there but the opposition will never go silent. So, we have a lively opposition today in the ANPP, in the CNPP, in the organised labour groups, in the press and in the people.
