The forum’s statement came against the recent defections of PDP state governors to the APC and their subsequent presentation to President Muhammadu Buhari in his office.
The statement said the forum has noted: “the seeming capture of one of the Governors of PDP by the APC and the Federal Government by deploying unlawful threats, intimidation and outright underhand tactics.”
It recalled that when President Buhari “directly and prejudicially regretted in his recent interview that Zamfara State is governed by another party other than his own, it was a clear subtle threat to the Governor of the State to join him or face consequences.”
The statement added: “Earlier, all sorts of threats had been deployed by the illegal APC Caretaker /National Convention Planning Committee whose only job seems to be to just lure PDP Governors and other PDP Stakeholders abandoning in the process their mandate of organising a National Convention.
“Supporting Zamfara and other affected states to tackle insecurity shouldn’t be politicised nor should joining APC be a subtle condition precedent for security or other assistance.
We remember the infamous statement by the former APC National Chairman that once you join APC all your sins will be forgiven by the powers that be. This appears to be the guiding principle of Mr President and APC.
“It is quite distressing and shameful to watch PDP Governors and some other stakeholders who are literally forced to join APC being paraded at the presidential Villa like captured persons, immediately after their acquisitions as culprits by the APC.
“Admittedly, everyone is innocent until proven guilty, but the immorality of it all is quite nauseating. No principles are involved or invoked. It doesn’t matter whether you are a convicted criminal or a wanted person by security agencies. It doesn’t matter whether you are fingered in various investigations like NDDC scams, NNPC probes, or other accusations of fleecing the nation of billions of Naira.
“The way and manner APC celebrates the capture of any PDP Governor or stalwart you would think that a major Boko Haram or insurgent terrorist leader has been neutralised.
If Mr President or APC can spend 10 per cent of the energy they use in wooing PDP Governors and stalwarts in tackling the ravaging incidents of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, herders/ farmers conflicts, separatist tendencies, or in building infrastructure, providing food, health care, education and tending to the general wellbeing of Nigerians, our country would be a better place.
“There is no redeeming quality in the present APC or its government. Nothing. A political party that cannot constitute its Board of Trustees, a so-called political party that is ruled by a military-like constituted National Executive Committee and unelected executives at all levels contrary to S. 223 of the Constitution, has nothing to attract anyone. It is certainly not in a position to consolidate our democracy or engineer our national rebirth.
“A political party that has run the country aground and thrives in incompetence, corruption, rudderlessness, bad governance and wanton destruction of all that has held Nigeria together over the years has nothing to offer Nigerians. It is, therefore, obvious that anyone who defects from PDP or indeed any other party to APC today under the terrible conditions they have put Nigeria into is looking for something else other than the good of the nation.”
The forum warned that the APC and its government “now constitutes a clear and present danger to Nigeria and especially its democracy.”
It added: “We will continue to resist the attempt by the APC to foist a one-party dictatorship on Nigerians.
