Posted by From Mohammed Abubakar, Abuja on
THE Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) at the weekend came down hard on the National Assembly for what it called its "shameful handling" of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) probe and its reaction to the recently conducted general elections in the country.
THE Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) at the weekend came down hard on the National Assembly for what it called its "shameful handling" of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) probe and its reaction to the recently conducted general elections in the country.
The Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) has also lashed out at Nigerians conferring legitimacy on the widely-criticised April 21 presidential polls by the stream of visitors to Aguda House, where the President-elect, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, is temporarily resident.
In separate statements yesterday, the two organisations were united that, given the status of those conferring legitimacy on of Yar'Adua's election, including reputable individuals and members of the diplomatic community, Nigerian democracy could be doomed.
The CNPP, according to its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, regretted that the National Assembly had unwittingly ended its final phase "in the hall of infamy by handing over to Nigerians an unworthy parting gift."
Commenting on the PTDF report, the CNPP said: "The Senate failed to expose the various accounts opened at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as conduit pipe to fund the PDP; the MOFAS, Marine Float and sundry accounts used as slush funds by the President, Vice President and their cohorts."
Faulting the rush to Aguda House to congratulate Yar'Adua, the DPP in a statement by its Director of Publicity, Mr. Ismaila Sani, said it was completely at a loss as to the wisdom, morality and propriety of the visits by the foreign envoys, many of whose countries and organisations had faulted the polls.
According to him, "the whole world witnessed the series of damning verdicts passed on the April 14 and 21 elections in Nigeria by both local and international observers alike, the summary of which was that the elections were not free, fair and credible (where they held at all), and hence nothing legitimate could possibly come out of the flawed polls."
He added: "It is our strong contention that such a volte face amounts to hypocrisy and a clear betrayal of the Nigerian people. The action of the diplomatic corps is equally a violent blow and setback to the yearnings and struggles of Nigerians for democracy predicated on the rule of law, constitutionalism and mandate of the people."