ABUJA, August 16, (THEWILL) – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday followed up its defence against Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN’s) continued criticism of Dr. Doyin Okupe’s appointment as senior special assistant on public affairs to the president, with a press release branding the opposition party as self-serving and dismissing its accusations as baseless, unwarranted and malicious. In a release signed by Hon. Binta Masi Garba, its deputy national publicity secretary, PDP, maintained that President Goodluck Jonathan would continue to exercise his rights to employ any qualified Nigerian to any public office. The release, in full, reads: “In the last one week, we have noticed the vitriolic attacks on the person of Dr. Doyin Okupe who was recently appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan as his Senior Special Assistant (Public Affairs), a position most reasonable Nigerians agree he is capable of handling effectively. “We have noted the copious references by the ACN, through its spokesman, Mr. Lai Mohammed, to the purported unwholesome acts in the execution of some projects in Benue and Imo States several years ago. It is our considered opinion that issues of contracts are basically civil issues between contracting parties and certainly most contract documents contain clauses for dispute resolutions. “Moreover, the EFCC through its spokesman has said that Dr. Doyin Okupe is not currently under any criminal investigation by the Commission as claimed by the ACN. He has neither been charged nor indicted by any court of law, panel, or committee in the country till date. The call by the ACN for Dr. Okupe’s removal is, therefore, not only baseless, unwarranted but equally malicious. “We wish to make it abundantly clear that President Jonathan, under the presidential system we currently operate, is at liberty to appoint any deserving Nigerian to any position at any time without recourse to anyone, least of all a self-serving opposition group. “The president will, therefore, not be blackmailed into following a destructive agenda by a group that thrives on trumped-up lies and misinformation. “We believe that the matter should be rested at this point without any further undue political exploitation or misrepresentation. It is a common saying that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones and he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. “By the appointment of Dr. Okupe, the president has taken a right decision to engage members of the public on salient issues of national importance and debates, and also allow for a deepening of the channels of communication between the Presidency and the citizenry. He must, therefore, be allowed to discharge his duties without undue distractions.”