In a communiqué read by PDP national secretary Professor Wale Oladipo at the end of the conference, the party called on the international community to note the “growing impunity, abuse of power, constitution infractions, clampdown on the opposition, divisiveness and overall high-handedness” by the APC government which it said is posing great threat to democracy and unity of the nation.
The communiqué read in part: “The conference condemned in strongest terms the growing authoritarianism of the APC-led Federal Government which has been characterized by gross violation of human rights, constitutional infractions, invasion of a governor’s lodge and private homes, deliberate interference and instigation of crisis in the legislature, arm-twisting of the judiciary, undermining of democratic institutions like INEC, nepotism in appointments, abuse of power and clamp down on opposition elements.
“It noted the sudden decline in the economy and quality of life of Nigerians, occasioned by the lack of direction of the APC government, in addition to the growing tension and rancour in the polity, as direct consequences of the divisive tendencies of the present administration.
“We denounced the prevailing selective application in the fight against corruption targeted at opposition elements and perceived opponents of the regime, while APC members with corruption charges are being rewarded with ministerial positions and other juicy appointments as well as APC tickets in the forthcoming governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States.
“It vehemently rejected the current manipulation of the judiciary and security forces by the APC-led Federal Government in its desperate bid to subvert the sovereign will of the people and forcefully take over states genuinely won by the PDP in the last general elections and ultimately impose a one-party state in Nigeria.
“Charged the new INEC leadership to assert the independence of the electoral body, resist all external influences and ensure free, fair and credible electoral process in Kogi and Bayelsa states and other future elections, as the PDP will not accept any results that do not reflect the true wishes and aspirations of the people, particularly in Kogi and Bayelsa States.”
The party called on all organs of the PDP to commence preparations for the National Convention scheduled for March, 2016.
Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, said, “the APC won by promising much more than they could deliver, hoping to deliver less. Unfortunately, the chicken has come home to roost sooner than anticipated. No campaign promise, I repeat, no promise made by the present APC administration has been kept.”
He said the ruling party promised to rescue the abducted Chibok schoolgirls in three months but failed. He added that the President has failed to provide free meals to school children and payment of the N5,000 stipend to unemployed Nigerians as well as its pledge to scale up the exchange rate of Nigeria’s currency to a Naira to one US Dollar.
He alleged that rather than reciprocate and build on the democratic gestures of conceding defeat and congratulating winners of elections as exemplified by PDP past leaders, there is a “clear design and desperation” by the APC to takeover “by hook or crook” states won by the PDP in the April 11 governorship elections.
Acting Chairman of Board of Trustees (BoT), Bello Haliru Mohammed said the PDP has no apology fielding Jonathan as its presidential candidate in the last elections, adding that the APC-led government was not delivering on its mandate.
PDP acting national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus and Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio who spoke at the event also asked the APC-led government to fulfill its campaign promises and stop what they termed “impunity.”
The party also unveiled its 2015-2019 manifestos at the event.
Chairman of the organizing committee, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, admitted that they grappled with avalanche of obstacles to be able to convene the conference.
It could be recalled that the move to convene the conference in September was thwarted by the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) which postponed it for sundry reasons.