Following the successful conduct of the All Progressives Congress national convention in Lagos about a fortnight ago, which saw the emergence of General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) as the presidential candidate of the party, the APC has described the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as a Janus-faced bumbling party for engaging in what it called a serial mudslinging against the party and its leaders.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the same PDP that has been preaching issues-based electioneering campaign has done nothing but mudslinging against the person of Mr. Buhari, his running mate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), a national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and indeed the entire APC.
Mr. Mohammed said the spokespersons for President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP, apparently stung into a stupor by the rancour-free emergence of the party’s candidates for the 2015 general elections and the overwhelmingly positive reactions from Nigerians, have thrown caution and decency to the wind by their crude, rude and rambling statements.
What is issues-based in calling Gen. Buhari a ‘semi-literate jackboot’ as the PDP’s National Secretary Wale Oladipo has incautiously said? Where are the issues in the pejorative reference to Prof. Osinbajo as an ‘acolyte’ of Tinubu, or in describing Tinubu himself as a puppeteer, as the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary Olisa Metuh has said in the most vitriolic and irresponsible statement that can ever be issued by the spokesman of a ruling party anywhere?
Where are the issues contained in the statement by the serial bumbler and gormandizer called Doyin Okupe, who regards Mr. Buhari’s refusal to enrich himself from the public till as a vice rather than a virtue? Why would a ruling party go after the jugular of the opposition simply because it took its time in choosing its presidential running mate, especially since it did not run foul of any electoral law in doing so?
“The truth is that the Jonathan Presidency and the PDP have no issues to canvass during the electioneering campaign for the 2015 general elections because they have wasted the mandate given to them by Nigerians on the altar of unprecedented corruption, incomprehensible incompetence and cluelessness and perhaps the worst leadership ever inflicted on our country”, APC said.
The APC spokesman expressed delight that Nigerians have taken it upon themselves to respond to the PDP and its barbarians, especially in the social media.
“Had these philistines been monitoring the reactions of Nigerians to the capricious comments they have been making against the person of Mr. Buhari and his party, they would have desisted.
But then, they need to impress their paymasters.
It seems the more they pour invective on our leaders and our party, the bigger their pay.
We wish them luck in their ludicrous pursuit and shadow chasing”, it said.
The opposition party assured Nigerians that its campaign for next year’s elections would be based on how the party plans to restore hope to the forlorn citizens, who have been taken for a ride by the government they voted into power, how Nigeria can be made great again and how the comatose economy can be resuscitated, for the benefit of all, rather than a few fat cats.
“We are delighted at the increasing level of political awareness among Nigerians and their engagement in the political scene.
We believe Nigerians are more interested in what the candidates for next year’s elections can offer rather than on how much mudslinging they can dish out.
In the end, Nigerians, who are the real masters, will spot the difference!” the party said.
