The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has denounced a group that called on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign, following the president’s remarks that at 72, there is a limit to what he could do.
The president made the comments while speaking to Nigerians living in South Africa.
The group, styled PDP Media Watchdog, said the president merely acknowledged what the PDP had long warned Nigerians about.
In its reaction, the PDP dissociated itself from the statement.
Read PDP statement, signed by spokesperson Olisa Metuh, below:
The attention of the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to a press statement by a group parading as PDP Media Watchdog and purporting to be working within and in the interest of our great party.
This group is absolutely unknown to the PDP and has no connection whatsoever with our party at any level, neither is the content of their statement a reflection of the position or stance of the party.
For the avoidance of doubt, our great party has not authorized this group to use its name, acronym or logo to issue statements or make public pronouncements on any matter and we caution those behind them to henceforth desist from such immediately.
The PDP therefore distances itself from the embarrassing statement by this group wherein it called on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign and went ahead to use offensive and denigrating language on the person and office of the President of our great country.
This is completely unacceptable and against the posture of the PDP to engage only on robust and credible opposition while constructively offering alternatives to the programmes and policies of the APC-led government, preparatory to our return to power in the next four years.
We note with dismay that the attitude of this group is a direct consequence of the approach adopted by the APC in denigrating and insulting our immediate-past President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. Though we know that former President Jonathan suffered such fate in the hands of the APC, we shall not repay them in the same coin as such is not part of our tradition and value as a party.
Furthermore, recall that the PDP had earlier informed the public and the media that only statements issued by the National Chairman, the National Secretary, the National Publicity Secretary or any other officer of the party authorized by the National Working Committee (NWC) should be regarded or reported as the position of the PDP on any matter. In this regard, any group or individuals seeking to use the identity of the PDP on any issue should approach the leadership for authorization. We urge the media and the general public to be guided by this always.
