Former publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Olisa Metuh has condemned recent attacks against the chief of staff to the president, Femi Gbajabiamila, over alleged allocation of N10 billion for the renovation of his official residence.
Metuh, in a statement over the report, decried the deliberate effort to tarnish Gbajabiamila’s image, emphasising that such tactics undermine the principles of participatory democracy.
He lamented the descent of democratic discourse into a realm of gossip, lies, and falsehood orchestrated by forces with anti-democratic motives.
“While not holding brief for any interest, I believe, especially from my standpoint as a non-partisan advocate for the deepening of participatory democracy and its tenets of social justice and good governance, such participation must be devoid of falsehood, political, creed and ethnic undertones.”
It must be guided by the demands of truth, justice and patriotism at all times.
“Targeting a government official such as the Chief of Staff to the President with gossip, lies and outright falsehood is not the way to go.
“No matter how strongly one feels about any issue, lies cannot yield the desired result for nation development we all yearn for; only the truth will,” he said.
Metuh underscored the need for engagements that are grounded in truth, justice, and patriotism, devoid of political, creed, or ethnic undertones.
He cautioned against targeting government officials with baseless accusations, asserting that lies cannot contribute to the nation’s development.
Reflecting on his own experiences of media trial and persecution, Metuh highlighted the destructive nature of pull-him-down politics.
Despite political differences with Gbajabiamila, Metuh acknowledged him as hailing from a respectable pedigree and urged Nigerians to adopt a constructive approach to opposition.
Metuh speculated on the possible motives behind the attacks, questioning whether they stem from internal rivalry or external efforts to disorganise the government.
He called for an end to destructive political engagements, warning that such practices could jeopardise Nigeria’s democracy.
Encouraging Nigerians to engage in constructive opposition by offering alternatives and options to government policies, Metuh cited the example of Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party.
He urged government officials to remain transparent, accessible, and accountable, while intensifying efforts in their respective tasks.
Let Femi Gbajabiamila breathe!”Metuh said as he called for a shift towards best practices in participatory democracy for the unity, cohesiveness, and economic prosperity of the nation.
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