From Romanus Ugwu and Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, renewed their battle on the fitness and competence of their presidential candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Bola Tinubu, respectively, and the allegation of sponsored violence to truncate next years polls.
While the PDP, through the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organisation, claimed Tinubu was unfit and lacking requisite track records to lead the country, the APC accused the PDP of churning out lies to curry votes.
Spokesperson for the PDP campaign organisation, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement, yesterday, described Atiku as having proven himself as a leader with the required integrity, sound reputation and desired capacity, competence, presence of mind, political will and stamina to lead the country as its most critical time. He said it was strange for anyone to expect Nigerians to elect a former governor, who cannot point to any tangible achievement during his tenure, as president.
“President Buhari should, therefore, not waste his time to campaign for Asiwaju Tinubu, who has lost grip of the Presidential contest and is only seen in the public as a butt of jokes for his endless gaffes, display of vacuity and incapacity to lead. What Nigerians expect from President Buhari at this time is to provide the enabling environment that will guarantee peaceful, free, fair, transparent and credible 2023 general elections as well as a smooth transfer of power in line with the expressed will of the people on May 29, 2023.”
The PDP spokesperson said it would amount to a slap on Nigerians for Tinubu, plagued by several allegations bordering on inconsistencies in name and ancestry, among others, to present himself for election into the office of president.
“Tinubu, who cannot point to any resounding legacy project he articulated and executed in his years as Governor of Lagos State is allegedly credit for the achievements of his predecessors and successors in office…candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, over and above the deflated Tinubu as the next President of our great country.”
In its response, the APC chided the PDP for spewing what it described as gibberish and falsehoods as its electoral strategy for next year’s presidential election.
The ruling party said while other serious political parties were busy digging deep, canvassing votes and building viable electoral networks less than 65 days to the crucial poll, the opposition party was busy chasing shadows.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, APC said: “While the PDP keeps busy milling falsehood and propaganda as preferred electoral strategy, we choose to remain undistracted, resolute and focused on serving Nigerians and soliciting their valued support ahead of the 2023 general elections.”
It described PDP’s alarm on plot to instigate violence and scuttle the 2023 polls as baseless.
“PDP has continued to outdo its own record of disgraceful display of despicable desperation and despondency in the conduct of its public affairs. Utterly discombobulated by prospects of impending annihilation at the polls, the PDP has dived deeper into its murky cesspool of confusion, calumny and unmitigated irrationality.
“Barely 65 days to the 2023 presidential election, the PDP remains preoccupied with spewing gibberish and falsehoods as choice electoral strategy at a time when serious political parties are digging deep, canvassing votes and building viable electoral networks.
“Afflicted by its infamy, the PDP’s latest incoherent press conference built entirely on malicious lies and unimaginative conjecture only certifies the party’s irredeemable descent into the dark abyss of inglorious political history.
“The only basis for these dumb allegations is what decrepit PDP calls ‘intelligence available to our party’. As a responsible ruling party that we are, the APC abhors all forms of violence and electoral malpractices. We stand united with INEC in its effort to conduct a free, transparent and fair election next year.
“Violent attacks against INEC facilities and staff are very serious matters of national concern and security and has potential to destabilise our set electoral program on which the viability and sustainability of our nascent democracy depends.
“It is not a flimsy matter that anyone or political party should appropriate as material for a morbid comedy skit as the PDP chooses to do and has done quite consistently during this electoral season.
“PDP’s vain attempt to associate our respected and respectable presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, to their imagined plot to disrupt our elections is beyond the pale. PDP has always been intimidated by the towering popularity of our presidential candidate who is tirelessly traversing the length and breadth of our country justifying his bid for the highest office in the land, and renewing hope of a more vibrant future for all Nigerians,” it said.