ACN shuns Jonathan’s Govt of National Unity •Says it doesn’t enhance democracy

Posted by admin Action Congress of Nigeria, Latest Politics, Party Politics Thursday, May 5th, 2011

THE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has said it is not interested in the proposed Government of National Unity (GNU) by the Peoples Democratic Party PDP-led Federal Government,

because it is satisfied with the role it is playing as the leader of opposition and a”government-in-waiting.”

The party, in a statement issued in Abuja, on Wednesday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the clarification should dispel the rumours that the ACN had been contacted and that it was negotiating for a share of ministerial appointments, and that any member interested in GNU should first resign from the party.

It stated that it was against the so-called Government of National Unity, because it stiffled democracyby compromising virile opposition which was a key ingredient of a vibrant democracy.

It said such a collaboration encouraged the emergence of a one-party state and stunted development and promoted complacency.

“We hope this clarification will silence those who have been peddling the lies that our party sold out to the PDP during the presidential election,” it said.

ACN also reminded state chairmen of the party to guard their utterances and clear with the national executive committee before commenting on issues, such as the GNU.

”No member, at any level of the party, should trade with our name. State chairmen should comment only on issues within their areas of authority and stop committing the party on issues that are only within the purview of the National Executive Committee of the party.

”We know that this is the ripe season for ‘food is ready’ politicians, who are ready to sell their birthright, if necessary, to join any government in power. But as we have always said, we are not willing to compromise our ideals just because we want to share in the spoils of office.

”If we did not compromise when we have just one state, why should we do so now that we have grown to six states, with the possibility of growing further when we challenge in court those who stole our mandates? Therefore, any member who wishes to work with a PDP government should get out of our party today,” it said.

ACN said the era of the party’s executives paying ‘courtesy’ visits to governments of the ruling party in their states was long gone, and that any member, no matter how highly placed, who tried to trade with the name of the ACN would be sanctioned accordingly.

Meanwhile, the party has said that the state chairman of the ACN in Akwa Ibom, Aniekan Akpan, stands suspended from the party and can, therefore, no longer speak for the party.

Also, the national chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, in a brief interview with airport journalists at the presidential wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport on Wednesday, said the ACN could not work with the PDP.

Reacting to the possibility of the opposition party forming government of national unity with the PDP as attributed to the Ekiti ACN chairman, Akande declared:”It is a lie and I don’t think he said so. It is not possible for ACN to work with PDP, It’s like pairing light with darkness. ACN will never work in any PDP government.”

He refuted the allegation that the party’s presidential candidate in the just concluded presidential election, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, was contemplating leaving ACN, saying it was far from the truth.

He said: “Ribadu became our presidential candidate because we know him to be a very principled personality. That is not true. Nuhu Ribadu is stronger in the ACN today than when he joined us.”

On the future movement of the party to other geo-political zones of the country, he explained: “We are very much on the ground in other geopolitical zones in the country. Before too long, you will start knowing the reasons why it appears we never won elections in other zones of the country. Over-manipulation overwhelmed us and we are going to prove this in the tribunal very shortly,” he added.

Meanwhile, the PDP had counselled the main opposition parties not to see the olive branch being extended to them by President Jonathan as a sign of weakness, but a patriotic act on the part of the president-elect to move the country forward.

Reacting to the disposition of the ACN, CPC and ANPP towards the formation of GNU, the national publicity secretary of the PDP, Professor Ahmed Rufai Alkali, in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, in Abuja, said the opposition parties should be glad and embrace the gesture whenever it was extended to them.

In another development, the European Union (EU) has told the president-elect, governors-elect and legislators-elect to ensure that they run an inclusive agenda, based on accountability to the electorate, delivery of improved governance and the pursuit of economic and social development for the nation.

The statement from the EU came as the body noted that it looked forward to working closely with the new government and legislature, and to continue to partner with the country in support of good governance, democracy, social and economic growth.

The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the commission, Catherine Ashton, in a comment on Wednesday on the conduct, process and outcome of the general election in the country, on behalf of the union, congratulated President Jonathan, governors-elect and the legislators-elect on their election.

She commended the leadership of INEC, and, particularly, its chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, as well as the roles the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the security agencies played in the elections, while she condemned act of violence as well as loss of lives and displacement of people during the elections.

-Tribunewp_posts