Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Representatives have promised to engage the Federal Government constructively.
The lawmakers said although being in the opposition was to them, having been ruling since 1999, the caucus vowed to provide a credible opposition in the House.
However, while backing President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption drive, its media group, led by Shawulu Rima (PDP, Taraba), told reporters in Abuja yesterday that the President had no right to define the period of his investigation of corrupt officials.
Rima, who was with other members of the group, said: “We, in the PDP, played a key role in the emergence of the House Leadership. Majority of our members voted for the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara and his deputy, Suleiman Lasun, and we are happy with the way they have conducted affairs of the House.
“We will continue to support them. We are not going to indulge in frivolous criticisms, we will support the government and will be a credible opposition.
“We are not going to behave as area boys in criticising government. We won’t take actions as if we have a predetermined position, which can destroy the system”.
Noting that the investigation of corrupt official was a welcome development, Rima, however, said the caucus would not accept the investigation limited to certain individuals or the last administration.
“We support the agenda of the Federal Government to fight corruption; however we want the probe to be all-inclusive since there is no status of limitation to a crime.
“The President does not have the power to draw a line on the particular crimes he will prosecute. If he does that, he will be flouting a section of the constitution.
“We caution the present administration to learn from the mistake of the then opposition in Ghana, which came to power and started prosecuting but lost out in national development, which led to its defeat in the subsequent election”.