The All Progressive Congress (APC) has berated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the party’s inability to pay the entitlements of its staff working at the national secretariat, Abuja.
The ruling party expressed shock that the former ruling party could not pay the benefits of its workers despite huge revenue generated from sales of nomination forms during the 2019 general elections and the recent governorship polls in Edo and Ondo States. This was contained in a statement by Yekini Nabena, APC spokesperson who noted that a situation whereby a political party has become unable to run its head office, such party should not be given a chance to govern. He added that Nigerians should be thankful that the PDP is no longer in control at the center. Nabena said, “Our current intervention is in respect of some Nigerians working at the National Secretariat of the PDP but got sacked illegally recently. The number of staff sacked amounts to 50%. The sacked staff have already dragged the PDP to the National Industrial Court in the suit no. NIC/ABJ/260/2020. “It will amount to wickedness and lack of empathy for the dying PDP to continue to deny the staff what legally belongs to them. PDP should rather close shop, bearing in mind the popular saying that “the labourers deserve their wages.” He added “We are reliably informed that for three years since the PDP lost power at the centre, staff have also not been paid their Housing Allowances, leading to over 50% of them entrapped in litigations with their various landlords. “Over 20% have their properties thrown out of their living apartments following which some of them resorted to sleeping in the Churches and or squatting with friends and relatives. Some have even sent their family members back to their villages.” According to Nabena, the situation hit its peak since several PDP stalwarts have been denied easy access to public treasury. APC urged the PDP to do the needful because these staffers are Nigerians. Their entitlements should be paid, including those that have been illegally sacked.