BEVERLY HILLS, CA, January 11, (THEWILL) – The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has refuted a media report that there is a division in its National Working Committee (NWC).
In a statement issued on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the party said there was no truth in a report published by a national newspaper suggesting a division in the party’s NWC.
The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to a malicious report in today’s (Saturday January 11, 2014) edition of the Punch Newspapers entitled ‘At last, President Goodluck Jonathan turns against Tukur,’ wherein the Governor of Akwa-Ibom State, His Excellency Governor Godswill Akpabio was falsely reported to have sponsored some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) to destabilise the leadership of our great party for alleged political reasons.
“This report is not only fictitious, but part of the viscous plot by the enemies of the PDP to destroy the hard earned reputation of our officials, divide our ranks and ultimately destroy our unity by compromising certain section of the media to plant fabricated stories and tissues of lies; a project which has already failed.
“We wish to state unequivocally that the NWC is not divided and members were not in any way influenced by any person whatsoever in presenting their positions at the meeting with the President, contrary to the malevolent report planted in the Punch Newspapers.
“For the avoidance of doubt, all members of the NWC took turns to make their presentations to the President in the meeting which dwelt on the domestic affairs of our party. No member was in anyway represented and none aired his or her view in representative capacity.
“It is instructive to note that neither the Punch reporter nor any other journalist for that matter was present at the meeting and as such could not have been privy to what exactly transpired.
“It is therefore the height of wickedness for any person to, under any guise and for whatever price, choose to jettison the ethics of the profession by going to press to distort facts, fabricate falsehood and spread same to Nigerians concerning the meeting.
“Nevertheless, we wish to caution those who trade in falsehood that not only will they continue to fail but they also heap upon themselves divine judgement unless they repent and retrace their steps.
“While we call on all our members and supporters to disregard the speculations in the report, we charge the media to always cross check their information and get clarifications from appropriate quarters before going to the press.”
