The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has accused the Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government of a plot to discredit and silence key opposition leaders in the country, especially Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

‘’For the Jonathan-led administration, and not minding its deceptive aloofness from it all, the race for 2015 has started in earnest and it is a do-or-die, and all means foul and unfair are on the table to cripple the opposition, by ensuring that nothing will be left of the integrity of its key leaders even if they are fortunate to make it to 2015

“These opposition leaders are considered as constituting a clear and present danger to the electoral fortunes of the PDP in 2015, hence must be stopped at all costs and by whatever means,”’ ACN said.

The party, in a statement made available to National Mirror yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the plot is an attempt to frustrate the ongoing plans to form a formidable platform through merger of opposition parties to confront the PDP in 2015 election.

The party said the paranoia over the merger plans has driven the PDP-led government to resort to imprudent and crude tactics aimed at tarnishing the image of key opposition leaders,.

According to Mohammed, “Asiwaju Tinubu is particularly a prime target of these evil machinations, because of his status as the leader of the country’s second biggest party, his progressive credentials as well as his electoral value. As far as the PDP-led government is concerned, getting him out of the way is the best way to ruin the merger plans.”

The party said a huge war chest has been earmarked for the phased camoutpaign, which has already started with a well-oiled media war, being waged especially online, denigrating these leaders.

The party added: “Some key government agencies have also been co-opted to dig up any dirt they hope can be plastered on the targeted leaders, while foreign intelligence agencies have been contacted in a desperate attempt to unearth any information that can be used to discredit and disgrace these major opposition figures thus distracting them from the merger plans.

“Indications are that highly-combustible sectional and religious issues, that are being manipulated by desperate forces to divide and destroy, are not off the table as long as exploiting them can shut down the opposition. Or how else does one interpret a recent PDP statement that President Goodluck Jonathan is being criticised by the opposition because he is from a minority ethnic group?

“And what about the continuous efforts, which have failed so far, to portray a key opposition leader as a sponsor of Boko Haram? His nomination as a ‘facilitator’ of some phantom peace talks was not an accident, but was carefully choreographed to portray him as a religious zealot and terrorist not fit to preside over the affairs of the nation.”

ACN said it will beam its searchlight on the activities of the government concerning the alleged plot against its leaders.

“Those who either conveniently acquiesced or opted to dine with the devil when many progressives took to the trenches during the long, bitter and gruelling battle to enthrone the democracy we are now enjoying apparently do not value it, and will stop at nothing to endanger it on the altar of selfish personal interests and political expediency.

“It is therefore incumbent on all Nigerians, especially those who believe that all hands must be on deck to nurture and strengthen our democracy, to be vigilant. After all, it is said that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,” the party said.

Several telephone calls and text messages to the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, and Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, to respond to the allegation, were not answered or returned.

http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/2015-acn-alleges-plot-to-silence-buhari-tinubu/