Date: 2012-05-21

Immediate past acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje,   has rubbished what he described as a fresh gang-up against the party towards the 2015 election, saying such attempts will fail "as they failed in the past". Baraje, who was responding to the  controversial statement by Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, hinting that dire consequences awaited the rigging of 2015 elections, told newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara State that rather than frighten the PDP, such comments and gang-ups will only strengthen the ruling party.Baraje, who made the comments shortly after a special reception prayer organised for him by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Zulu Gambari, held at the Emir’s palace, warned Buhari, whom he described as someone many thought had run a government with some level of discipline, to desist from making inflammatory statements that could divide the country. 

His words: "It is not new. We are all living witnesses to the kind of ganging-up that came up in 2011 when we were preparing for the 2011 general election, it is not different. The ganging-up came up in 2003; the PDP demolished the gang-up. It came up in 2007, it was demolished and in 2011, they were demolished. So, even if they have settled 2011 preparing for 2015, it is going to be a fruitless effort. The ganging-up is nothing as far as PDP is concerned; it is only giving PDP further strength.

"However, the statement given by Buhari is unfortunate, very, very unfortunate coming from somebody who Nigerians thought had run one of the most disciplined governments in his time, for him to have uttered such statement. This is not the first time that he has been making such divisive statement, statement that can divide Nigeria. That is why we described it as very unfortunate. But at the same time, the government has given appropriate warning that not only him, anybody no matter how highly placed, they must watch their words.
"And I join the government to say that we Nigerians must be very conscious about what we say. What Buhari is saying is beyond him, he didn’t create Nigeria and Nigeria cannot be broken by him or by any other person. We, therefore, urge any other person whether ganging up in the name of politics or not, Nigeria will remain one indivisible".

He said expressed delight over the  prayer  session organised by the traditional ruler, saying it capped the series of activities organised to formally welcome him home after serving the nation.
"It can only be likened to a homecoming," he said of the various activities, adding: "And a child who has left his father or parents for quite some time to serve the nation and is now being welcome home by no other person than that particular parent, by no other person,  by no less person than His Eminence, the Emir of Ilorin, it’s like a fulfilment.

"I have a feeling of being fulfilled, I have the feeling of being accomplished today particularly. The reception started about two weeks ago, today capped it all. I am now welcome back home fully to the corridor. We are here, we are home and that is not to say that we are not available to serve this country. I am quite available and ready to serve this country further with more commitment and more sense of belonging to the people, the good people of Nigeria.
"Whenever you find yourself in position, you should use it to the benefit of the people of your community, the immediate community and the Nigerian community at large. That I think what we have been able to do. Secondly, whatever you are assigned to do at whatever level, be committed, be honest, be fair and just and those are the kind of qualities we have been giving."