The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has chided the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following its reported sack of over 50 per cent of the party’s work force as a result of inability to pay salaries.
The APC in a statement issued Sunday by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, advised the PDP to fold up if it cannot fulfil its financial obligations to its staff at the National Secretariat.
APC expressed shock that despite the fund the opposition party generated from sale of forms during the 2019 general elections, the Edo and Ondo States governorship elections, it could not meet up with the entitlements of its staff.
The party alleged that PDP’s financial situation has worsened because most of their leaders no longer have access to public funds to loot.
“The APC is shocked that the PDP can no longer pay entitlements of its National Secretariat staff as at when due despite billions of Naira generated from the sales of nomination forms during the 2019 general elections and the recent in Edo and Ondo governorship elections.
“If a political party is not capable of running its National Secretariat successfully, such a party has nothing to do with governance. Nigerians should thank their stars that the PDP is no longer in power at the centre in times like this.
“Our current intervention is in respect of some Nigerians working at the National Secretariat of the PDP but got sacked recently and illegally by the party. The number of staff sacked amounts to 50 per cent.
“The sacked staff have already dragged the PDP to the National Industrial Court in the suit no. NIC/ABJ/260/2020. It will amount to wickedness and lack of empathy for the dying PDP to continue to deny its staff what legally belongs to them, hence PDP should rather close shop, bearing in mind the popular saying that “the labourers deserve their wages.
“It is more shocking that the PDP national secretariat could also resort to threats against its own staff who had diligently worked for the party, get sacked illegally and also deny them what is due to them. Where is the empathy, PDP?
“As a responsible governing party, we can only appeal to the leaders in the PDP to show compassion for once because these staffers are Nigerians irrespective of where they are working for now, their entitlements should be paid, including those that have been illegally sacked.
“We also appeal to the Court of law to do justice to the case as the last hope of a common man,” the ruling party noted in the statement.
Meanwhile, the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) has announced the appointment Sen. Kashim Shettima as chairman the APC Cross River North Senatorial Campaign Council for the rescheduled December 5 concurrent legislative by-elections.
The party also listed Festus Keyamo, Goddy Jedy Agba, Anthony Ogah Dimo, Bala Mohammed Gwagwarwa, Joshua Akpan as members of the council, while and Stella Oketete will serve as Secretary.
INEC has declared December 5 as date for the conduct 15 legislative bye-elections across eight States of the federation
