By Musa Shatima Nasidi
A sociopolitical group, Democracy Monitoring Alliance (DMA) has reacted to the call made by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Murtala Yakubu Ajaka demanding for the resignation of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige if uncomfortable with the nomination of Bola Tinubu as the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election.
In a statement made by the President of the group, Hon. Peterson Briggs on Sunday in Abuja, the group described the statement as another manifestation of desperation stating that it was a conspiracy, targeted at removing Ngige from office to pave way for an unnamed desperate appointee in the government who is presently a minister of state, to succeed him as a senior minister.
The group wondered why Ngige should be singled out, and even when Ngige didn’t say anything wrong, but due to the plot to create a space for a desperate junior minister to succeed him at all cost, his good remarks was taken out of context, with ‘other appointees’ merely added to balance the plot to sound as a general statement.
It also stated that the group has been monitoring situations in the polity, and had long ago expected such controversies which similarly played out earlier at the Ministry of the Niger-Delta headed by Godswill Akpabio leading President Muhammadu Buhari to redeploy the Minister of state, Festus Keyamo to the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
“We are not shocked that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige faces such an attack conspiratorially from the APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Murtala Yakubu Ajaka. We are not unaware of the actual plotter but it will fail as witnessed earlier in the other ministry.
“Otherwise, why should Ngige be singled out for the attack with ‘other political appointees’ added as a coverup even when he didn’t make any statement against or say he wouldn’t vote for the party’s candidate.
“As we speak, some candidates are still avoiding the media, but Ngige who is not contesting for any elective position should be crucified for speaking to the media in brevity even when he is not the campaign spokesperson.
“It must be noted that Ngige is an adult and has a right to decide how he speaks to the public. He has a right to be exhaustive as well as brief. Besides, he didn’t make any statement that points to anti-party politics but a creation of a desperate politician that wants to take over his seat” the group stated.
