Published:
Demands apology from Presidential Advisory Committee on Dialogue.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, has condemned the disruption of the South-South zonal public sitting of the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue in Benin during the presentation of the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole.
Th party said that the incident vindicated its refusal to be part of the proposed conference.
Th party said that the incident vindicated its refusal to be part of the proposed conference.
Describing the incident as despicable, the opposition party said it was sponsored by some persons, but failed to name the persons.
A member of the committee, Tony Nyiam, had shouted down Mr. Oshiomhole while the governor was making his presentation at the sitting.
Some thugs at the venue then took advantage of the altercation to cause chaos, forcing attendees to scamper for safety.
In a statement by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, on Tuesday, APC said the committee should be thoroughly ashamed of itself as one of its members led the show of shame that was put up in Benin.
The party demanded an unreserved apology from the committee to Mr. Oshiomhole, and a public caution or outright ejection of the member who acted so unruly and irresponsibly.
”The truth is that in proposing the conference, the government has no sincerity of purpose, does not believe in engaging in any dialogue with anyone but itself, and has only used it to distract the attention of Nigerians from the total absence of governance and sense of direction by the Jonathan Administration.
”This is why we refused to participate in what is nothing but a sheer deceit. We have already been vindicated even before the start of the conference,” the party said.
APC pointed out that since the essence of democratic discourse was for all sides to be allowed to have their say, it was wrong for anyone to be shouted down because their stand did not tally with that of the committee or the organisers of the meeting.
“What a contradiction that a member of a panel set up to help forge national discourse does not even believe in the plurality of opinions. Does anyone need any further evidence that the committee has already made up its mind on the direction their so-called assignment will take?
“How can you sincerely hope to midwife a dialogue with Nigerians when you cannot even oversee a dialogue in a town hall meeting?” it asked.
The opposition party expressed total shock and disgust that the Governor of the state that was hosting the advisory committee was treated so primitively by hired thugs.
”Even if they have no respect for the person of Governor Oshiomhole, couldn’t they have at least shown respect for the office he is occupying? If a person in the calibre of the Governor, with his antecedents and prominent role in the national political discourse, cannot be allowed to air his opinion on any issue, what then will happen to ordinary citizens?” the party asked.
It commended Mr. Oshiomhole for his maturity and decency, which showed through in his handling of the whole situation despite the indignity meted out to him.
”By his comportment, from which his security and other aides apparently took a cue, Governor Oshiomhole averted what could have been a violent confrontation and left no one in doubt that he is a true democrat. In the end, those who conspired to humiliate him have unwittingly played up his tolerance, his decency and his democratic credentials.”
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