From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osita Okechukwu, has mocked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over the rebuff from former president Olusegun Obasanjo, describing it sign of imminent failure in the forthcoming 2023 presidential election.
Okechukwu, a foundation member of the APC wondered why PDP leaders refused to understand that Nigerians are suspicious and no longer interested in reinforcing the PDP’s share the money culture.
The Director General Voice of Nigeria (VON) also noted that it is smacks of political incorrect move for a party, whose membership card was publicly shredded to go back asking for the support of the same statesman that rejected its association.
Okechukwu made the remarks while speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, stressing that Obasanjo’s rejection of PDP’s request to re-join the party came as failure signal at the eve of 2023 Presidential election.
“I have my sympathy for our sister political party, PDP, over this misadventure. Just imagine the uncommon electoral boost the party would have generated if Chief Obasanjo had accepted their request.
“The statesman’s re-entry could have boosted the morale of the rank and file of the PDP. In short the rejection is a bad omen, particularly coming at the eve of the crucial 2023 presidential election,” he said.
On the swipe by the PDP Chairman, Iyocha Ayu, describing President Muhammadu Buhari and APC as clueless and plunging Nigeria into eternal debt, Okechukwu quipped: “I have my tremendous respect for Ayu, an intellectual and seasoned academian; however one needs to name some of the huge and uncountable infrastructural deficit PDP bequeathed to Buhari’s regime, which compelled borrowing for development.
“The first is the Ibadan-Lagos standard gauge rail line and other rail lines abandoned by PDP. Less than transparent privatised Power Sector, which has dangerously stifled economic development.
“Lagos-Ibadan, Lagos-Abeokuta, second Niger Bridge, Kano-Maiduguri, Abuja-Makurdi, including other 13,000 federal road network nationwide. Re-equipment and upgrading of the Armed Forces and other Security Agencies emasculated by the PDP,” he noted.
PDP chieftains that accompanied Ayu to visit Obasanjo included, the National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu; Deputy National Chairman, South and former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Taofeek Arapaja; the party’s 2019 Vice presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as well as other NWC members.
