Jonathan setting traps for Buhari Rivers APC alleges

The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of setting traps for the incoming administration of Muhamadu Buhari “by embarking on unnecessary last minute appointments as well as the removal and immediate replacement of heads of strategic government parastatals”
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The party stated this in a statement by its chairman, Davies Ibiamu, on Tuesday.

Mr. Jonathan, who will hand over power to Mr. Buhari on May 29, has in the last few weeks, relieved heads of some government agencies and also appoint​ed​ their replacements.

Among those the president sacked after he lost the March 28 presidential election are the Inspector General of Police, Suleman Abba, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Habib Abdullahi and the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Equalisation Fund, Sharon Kasali,

 “We are appalled and disappointed by this gale of appointments, sacks and replacements by a go-slow President who was hitherto known for his inability to remove erring public officers and to replace ministers and heads of government agencies who either retired or resigned their appointments,” the APC said.

“The last-minute rush by President Jonathan to remove and replace heads of strategic government departments and agencies is therefore nothing but an attempt to set traps for the incoming Buhari Administration in the hope that reviewing these illegal actions would result in the loss of goodwill by the successor-administration.”

The party stressed that the rash of sacks and appointments apart from unnecessarily over-heating the polity is also distracting the incoming administration.

“We wonder why all these late sackings and appointments at the twilight of this administration that has caused our nation a lot of hardship which will take the administration of General Buhari much time and efforts to mitigate,” it said.

The party asked the incoming administration to reverse some of the “vindictive sacks and unwarranted appointments aimed at planting mediocres that will undermine the lofty ideals of APC and present APC in bad light for the 2019 general elections. We should not accept this in the interest of both our great party and future of our dear nation.”

The APC admonished Mr. Jonathan to concern itself with his handover notes and smooth transfer of power to Mr. Buhari and refrain from further acts of illegality.

It also commended the party’s national leadership for acting in a timely manner to stop the influx of PDP members into APC.

It stated, “This principled stand by the APC national leadership will go a long way to strengthen our democracy as PDP members now have no other option than to remain in their party and form a strong opposition that will keep us on our toes. It will also go a long way to make our politicians to believe in their political parties and their ideologies instead of jumping ship at the earliest opportunity.

“PDP has for the past 16 years ruined our nation. To allow such mischievous, greedy and unprincipled politicians to have any foothold in our great party will result in avoidable contamination. PDP members should, therefore, stay back in their party and allow us to see how quickly we can clear the mess they created in their 16 years in power.”