CPC Stalwart Blames Loss On Saboteurs

Mr. Dennis Aghanya, a chieftain of the CPC, says the party should blame some internal saboteurs for causing its failure at the presidential election.

He said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

“The CPC was sabotaged from within and as such, should direct its anger on such saboteurs within it. They sabotaged Gen. Buhari’s chances before and during the election.

“Gen. Buhari should resist the temptation of being dragged into the mess of violence and an unjust cause. The election has been lost and won but we must move ahead,”

“If at all the election was rigged, the party’s saboteurs should be held responsible and not those they are burning their houses,” Aghanya, who is also the pioneer National Publicity Secretary of the party, said.

He added that the presidential election was adjudged free and fair by international and local observers and therefore advised the party to look inwards and not to do otherwise.

Aghanya said the party’s failure began after its primaries when names of elected credible candidates in some states were substituted with those preferred by the party leadership.

The party chieftain said such substituted candidates had the goodwill to attract victory for the party.

He said credible founding members of the party were either sacked or relegated to the background, while the unsuspecting saboteurs became powerful in the party.

“Most of the people recognised as either the leadership or candidates of the party at various levels were friends or relations of these saboteurs whose primary concern was to make money and not to win elections for the party.

“All those who were genuinely spending selflessly for the future of the party were regarded as a threat and were blackmailed before Buhari,”

“It is not enough to have mammoth crowd at political rallies but to transform such crowd into election victory.

“Without sincere commitment from those charged with the affairs of the party, goodwill of Gen. Buhari cannot be transformed into gains.

“There is no doubt that the CPC commanded lots of popularity within its short period of birth.

“Such gains were mismanaged by those who shielded any other person away from Gen. Buhari because of their interest to make money, using our leader’s name rather than ensuring victory at the polls,” Aghanya said.

He added that the party lost the election not because it did not deserve victory but because it failed to appreciate the magnitude of the task ahead.

He also attributed the failure of the party at the presidential poll to its deliberate refusal to put in place all that was required “ to harness the privileges that came its way.”

Aghanya said those rioting should divert their attention to the saboteurs from within the party and not on the innocent people whose houses were burnt.