PDP describes Martin Luther King award saga as national disgrace

With controversy surrounding the Martin Luther King leadership award presentation to President Muhammadu Buhari, opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has described the whole development as a national disgrace.

After President Buhari was reported to have received Martin Luther King First Black History Month National Black Excellence and Exceptional African Leadership Award 2018, The King Center dissociated Martin Luther King Jr.’s family from the award, prompting a reaction from Buhari’s aides.

The leading opposition party, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, on Thursday, said the whole development is an embarrassing one and that the “act has again made our nation a laughing stock before the international community”.

“The lie by President Buhari’s handlers smacks of desperation by the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC), to procure international endorsement, ahead of the 2019 general elections,” the statement added.

The party said the nation was jolted when The King Center distanced itself from the award and noted that, “the award given to President Buhari of Nigeria was not given by The King Center, at the request of The King Center or by the children of Martin Luther King Jr”.

“It is now clear that this sinking, incompetent and deceptive APC administration, in their desperation, can fabricate and stage-manage anything, including name-dropping of international figures and agencies, in their desperate attempt to delude Nigerians, once again, now that the 2019 general election is fast approaching.

“Nigerians have discovered that having failed to gain any endorsement from reputable international figures such as Bill Gates, the APC and the Presidency have now cheapened the nation by resorting to this despicable act of name-dropping of world-renowned human right activist, Dr. Martin Luther King jr, further dragging down our once sterling image before the comity of Nations.

“The fact remains that not many Nigerians believed in the authenticity of the award in the first place, as the Buhari-led administration, by its undemocratic and anti-people proclivities, including records of violations of rights of citizens, is not deserving of any form of recognition by any human rights group, let alone the family of the world-acclaimed Martin Luther King jr.

“Today, the PDP has been vindicated in its stand that the APC government is not only hypocritical but overtly deceptive and must not be trusted,” the PDP said.

“It would be recalled that we had issued a statement, earlier this year, cautioning Nigerians and the international community to be wary of information and claims coming from the APC and the Presidency, particularly on endorsements and performances indices.

“While we urge the Presidency to shed its proclivity for lies, we demand the immediate arrest, investigation and prosecution of all the Presidency officials involved in this messy scandal and crime against our nation.

“Moreover, the Presidency and the APC should save the nation further embarrassment by jettisoning other planned endorsement stunts and fabricated performance indices, as Nigerians are already rallying with the repositioned and rebranded PDP in their collective quest to end the misrule of the APC and restore a sincere, purposeful and people-oriented government come 2019,” the statement further read.