“High Treason,” APC, Presidency React as New PDP Chairman Calls on Trump for Help
- The APC has alleged that under the PDP's 16-year rule, there was a ruthless subversion of opposition parties
- The ruling party said, despite the alleged disruption, there was never a call for a foreign invasion of Nigeria as a solution to the crisis within opposition parties
- APC said PDP chairman's call for Donald Trump to help save Nigeria’s democracy must be taken as a final certification of the opposition party's "demise"
Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering elections, politics, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - The All Progressives Congress (APC) has strongly condemned the call for foreign intervention by the new factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tanimu Turaki.
Legit.ng recalls that while addressing the press on Tuesday, November 18, over the crisis ravaging his party, Turaki called on foreign powers to intervene in Nigeria to save the country from alleged 'Christian genocide'.
Source: Twitter
The new PDP leader asked United States (US) President Donald Trump to save democracy in Nigeria.
Recently, Trump threatened military action in Nigeria if the federal “government continues to allow the killing of Christians”.
The US leader had promised to go into Nigeria “guns-a-blazing, to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities”. However, Turaki, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), wants Trump to go one better, save democracy in Africa’s most populous nation while he still can.
Speaking to newsmen on Tuesday, November 18, after gaining access to the PDP secretariat in Abuja, following a prolonged standoff, the new PDP chairperson stated that Nigeria’s brand of democracy desperately needs help from countries like the US.
The PDP chairman said his appeal followed “actions of those undermining democracy and progress”.
Turaki said:
“I want to call on President Trump; what is at stake is not just genocide against Nigerian Christians."
He added:
“He (Trump) should come and save democracy in Nigeria. Democracy is under threat. I’m calling on all other developed nations: come and save Nigeria, come and save democracy.”
APC slams PDP
But reacting to the trending video, Felix Morka, APC's national spokesperson, said Turaki's call is "reckless and unpatriotic".
The APC said:
"For a man declared National Chairman barely 72 hours ago by a faction of his deeply fractured party, Turaki looked and sounded desperate, at his wit's end, confused, incoherent, and grossly lacking in stamina and capacity to manage his party's crisis."
Furthermore, the APC said it trusts the international community to dismiss the PDP's "disgraceful and unpatriotic call", branding it "a pitiful distraction from the failure of its internal democracy and embarrassing disintegration."
The ruling party said:
"The heightened desperation of the PDP and other opposition leaders is now clear for all to see. Turaki's call shows how far they are willing to go, even to the extent of actively seeking destructive intervention of foreign powers on Nigerian soil in order to serve their sinister political agenda."
Source: Facebook
'PDP chair committed treason' - Onanuga
In the same vein, Bayo Onanuga, one of the spokespersons to President Bola Tinubu, accused Turaki of committing "high treason".
Legit.ng reports that treason is punishable by death in Nigeria according to the Criminal and Penal Codes.
Posting the video of Turaki seeking Trump's assistance, Onanuga wrote on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle:
"We shall never forget this video: the day a Nigerian politician committed high treason for calling for a foreign invasion of Nigeria, all because of intra-party dispute."
Read more on the PDP crisis:
- Saraki explains why PDP’s national convention should be suspended, proposes solution
- ‘He is Wike’s man’: Ex-aide to PDP national chair slams Saraki over call to suspend convention
PDP supporters exchange blows
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that supporters of both factions of the PDP clashed at Wadata Plaza.
The clash happened while both factions were attempting to assert control.
Source: Legit.ng
