Conference of parties indicts Obasanjo
From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja
THE Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has indicted President Olusegun Obasanjo for the mayhem in Anambra State on Wednesday.
Describing it as a deliberate effort to paint a picture of total breakdown of law and order, it saw the development as a prelude to a possible declaration of emergency rule in the state.
According to a statement from the office of its Secretary-General by Mr. Ogbu Ernest: "The issue here is not who did it in the conflicting claims and counter claims between Governor Ngige and his erstwhile political god-father, Chris Uba. This saga has festered for so long and it is a complete indictment of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Federal Government of General Olusegun Obasanjo."
The statement said that the political turmoil unfolding in Anambra State for over a year now was a disaster waiting to happen. It accused the political class of complicity in the case, wondering why it allowed itself to be used as a tool.
The group criticised the police for not having made any serious arrest since the tussle started last year. It condemned the police for deeming it fit to deprive the governor of his security details while his traducers enjoyed police escort.
The CNPP recalled Prof. Chinua Achebe's rejection of the award offered by Obasanjo. It therefore, reasoned that "the tragi-comedy in Anambra should stir the souls of all patriots of Nigeria."
The statement finally called on President Obasanjo to consider his constitutional responsibility to millions of law-abiding citizens of Anambra State, as against his love for "one inconsequential" individual.
It further warned that on no account should the "Plateau treatment" be applied on Anambra State.
Similarly, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has condemned the mayhem.
In a statement, the party's National Chairman, Chief Chekwas Okorie, said: "The mayhem in Anambra is a grand design to remove Governor Chris Ngige illegally and replace him with a stooge of the Presidency, thereby denying APGA of its mandate.
"PDP is afraid of free and fair local council election in Anambra State and wants to truncate it by causing confusion."
The statement by the party's Director of Publicity, Okorie Onwuchekwa Orji, added: "APGA is neither timorous nor infirm and will resist any attempt to impose a state of emergency in the state."
