…they are not progressives – Falana
In continuation of their lobby of high profile politicians, national leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo at his hilltop residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
This is coming as Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana took APC leaders to the cleaners and described them as desperate politicians that are only after power to the extent that are now running after “discredited military and civilian despots who have destroyed the country since 1966”.
By 5.00 p.m., the leaders of the opposition party had converged at the Ogun State Government House located at Oke-Igbein, Abeokuta, preparatory for Obasanjo’s home.
The former president met with his guest in company of some of his loyalists.
His visitors included Governor Ibikunle Amosun, APC National Chairman, Bisi Akande; former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu; presidential candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, Nuhu Ribadu; Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha;
Others are Adamawa State governor, Murtala Nyako; Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso; Kwara State governor, Abdulfatai Ahmed; two senators, Bukola Saraki and Ali Sherif; and a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode.
Former military ruler, Muhammadu Buhari; and Rivers governor, Rotimi Amaechi were also expected to attend the meeting.
APC leaders had earlier last week visited former vice president and Obasanjo arch rival, Atiku Abubakar in one of his houses in high brow Asokoro district when they held more than two hours meeting with him behind closed doorsSpeaking to an online media on the lobby of former leaders by APC, Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, yesterday lampooned the APC and punctured their claims to being progressive politicians.
According to Falana, there is no difference in the ideology of APC and PDP they have been trying to discredit all in their desperation to hoodwink Nigerians.
“For now, the difference between APC and PDP is like the difference between six and half a dozen. Frankly speaking, serious political parties are not built around big names or personalities but on the platform of ideology. From the look of things both APC and PDP subscribe to the dominance of market forces, currency devaluation, privatization of the nation’s resources and the commercialization of education, health and other social services. The leaders of both parties who have been in government at one time or the other in the past 30 years or there about believe in the neo-colonial capitalist system. Essentially, both APC and PDP are two sides of the same coin”.
On the lobby of former leaders by APC, Falana said “The APC has no plan to woo the youths who constitute more than 60percent of the voting population. By wooing discredited military and civilian despots who have destroyed the country since 1966 the APC has shown that it is only interested in power for the sake of power. I understand that one of the retired generals is going to become the chair of the Board of Trustees of the APC!
“This is a case of alienation from the people. How can APC leaders believe that Nigerians want Generals Obasanjo and Babangida to be rehabilitated after destroying the country? The duo ruled for 20 years and ruined the country in the process. General Obasanjo has just confessed that he has been installing incompetent leadership since 1979. And he is not ashamed to make that provocative disclosure. Since the APC is positioning itself to retain the status quo it cannot become a truly progressive party”, he said.
