PDP Says It Is Not Worried About Losing Key Members to Rising APC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it is not worried about today’s major decamping of several governors who joined the All Progressive Congress (APC), asserting that those members have a right of association.
“We wish to state categorically that the PDP remains unperturbed as we are now rid of detractors and distractions, it said in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary Olisa Metuh, in which it called on its members to remain focused.
It said that by their open declaration, the departing members have unveiled their true intent and “chosen to abandon a broad based national platform” in favour of “a narrow group of ethnic and religious bigots whose main intention is to unleash a state of anarchy” on the country.
“We wish to remind our members that from the rulings of the court there are no factions whatsoever in the PDP. In the eyes of the law, the PDP remains one and an indivisible entity under the leadership of Alh. Dr. Bamanga Tukur, CON. We wish to commend the wise decision of some of the aggrieved Governors to dissociate themselves from the action of some of their colleagues. We assure all Nigerians that the PDP will continue to grow from strength to strength and will definitely emerge stronger from this event.”
Insisting that there are no factions whatsoever in the PDP, despite the fact there have been open and growing divisions for months, Mr. Metuh stated that the peace process initiated by President Goodluck Jonathan is still on course, and thanked him for “his patience, humility and spirit of accommodation.”
The meeting between the President and aggrieved members shall hold on next Sunday, he said.  A similar meeting scheduled for last weekend was cancelled by Mr. Jonathan after he returned from London.
In a somewhat conciliatory tone, the party noted that its doors remained open to address all grievances, but warned it will not condone acts of internal subversion.
“The beauty of democracy is that in a political party system, some members are bound to leave while others come in,” the statement said.