The Abubakar Baraje-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged on-going attempts to massively bribe members of the House of Representatives with a view to winning them over to the presumed Jonathan 2015 presidency project.

The party in a statement released his afternoon by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, warned against the moves, advising President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan “to call his men to order so that they do not plunge the country into avoidable chaos and to stop them from portraying his administration as promoting corruption to the high heavens.”

Continuing, the statement said: “The advice had become necessary following the uncovering of a plot to massively bribe House of Representatives members with a view to getting them to pass a Vote of Confidence on President Jonathan and then quickly follow it up with the impeachment of Speaker Aminu Tambuwal and some other principal officers for their alleged sympathy for the Baraje-led PDP National Executive.

“Information reaching us indicates that the Alhaji Bamanga Tukur faction of PDP working in concert with some Presidency officials have set about to induce members of the House of Representatives with a view to passing a Vote of Confidence on President Jonathan and impeaching their principal officers. Part of their strategy is to place advertisements in major national newspapers in the country starting from next week, praising a non-performing Presidency to the high heavens so as to water the ground for President Jonathan’s expected declaration for the 2015 presidential contest. Each member is expected to receive 25,000 USD (about N2.5M) to sign the advertorial endorsing the President. The plan is to commence the impeachment of principal officers of the House after the publication of these adverts. We are aware of the identities of those involved in this shady business being coordinated by an influential member of the discredited Tukur faction from the Southern part of the country.

“Sadly, this is happening at a time when poverty is ravaging the land and our children are kept at home because of the refusal of the Federal Government to keep the agreement it reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) since 2009. Passing a Vote of Confidence on President Jonathan and celebrating him in the papers as these undemocratic elements plan to do is not only insensitive but also amounts to celebrating the death traps called federal roads and celebrating darkness after the billions of naira squandered on a non-functional power sector.

“The impunity associated with the Tukur-led PDP is yet another proof that we are now in a desperate situation where these failed politicians are capable of doing anything in order to achieve their evil aims. But they will surely fail.

“We urge our members all over the world to continue with fasting and prayers as we collectively seek God’s face on how to resolve the orchestrated crisis in our great party and thus minimise the heavy toll which it is taking on the Jonathan Administration.

“The general public is hereby urged to ignore the advertorial when it starts to come out by Monday as there is no substance in most of the contents of the advertorial.”

•Photo shows Speaker Aminu Tambuwal.

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