By Daniel Kanu
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) on Monday replied the All Progressives Congress (APC) stating that President Muhammadu Buhari, cannot be a match to its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in character, integrity, competence and public acceptance.
The PPCO noted that the APC, in raising the issue of personal character of candidates, in its statement, had unwittingly sunk President Buhari’s campaign by opening a flank that ultimately exposes him to public opprobrium.
“In as much as the PDP is committed to issue-based campaign and finding solutions to the myriad problems the incompetent, divisive and extremely corrupt Buhari administration has plunged our nation into, our party is ready and will not hesitate to take on the APC, any time, any day on issues of personal character and integrity, which President Buhari is in clear deficit before Atiku Abubakar,” the party said on Monday in a statement signed by its national publicity secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
“It is on record that nothing incriminatory has ever been found on Atiku Abubakar, despite being the most investigated politician in our country, particularly by the Buhari Presidency; but can such be said of President Buhari, who has been jittery over Atiku Abubakar’s soaring popularity and acceptance across the board, ahead of the 2019 general election?
“Between President Buhari and Atiku Abubakar, Nigerians know the leader, who is bugged by integrity issues and under whose watch our presidency became “fantastically corrupt”, with issues of certificate forgery and allegations of sundry frauds in which family members and close relatives are being mentioned.
“Nigerians are aware of the leader under whose direct watch, over N11 trillion has been stolen from our petroleum sector and billons of naira frittered away from our National Health Insurance Fund (NHIS) and other revenue agencies in the last three and half years.
“They are aware of the leader who has reneged on all his campaign promises; who stays aloof always to the plights of the people and only parades as pro-poor, just to win their votes.
“On the issue of achievement, the whole world knows the Nigerian leader whose corrupt administration plunged our nation into economic recession and who cannot point to any development project he initiated and completed in any part of the country or any personal contribution he has made to the development of our nation, either in office or as a private citizen.
“Since the APC has raised the issue of character, it should be ready to face the debate when the heat is on,” the party said.
In the same vein, the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) has condemned Saturday’s raid on the home of the sons of its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The opposition party described the raid as vicious, outrageous,dirty and reprehensible.
“The invasion of Aliyu and Mustapha Abubakar’s home, even in their absence, allegedly in search of imaginary cache of foreign currency, has further exposed how depraved the Buhari Presidency has descended in the desperate plot to harm, traumatize and malign the character of our presidential candidate and his family, having realized that Nigerians have lined behind him as the next president of our country,” PDP said.
“It is indeed appalling that the Buhari Presidency can now go as low as engaging in wicked politics of chasing after family members of a presidential candidate, who are neither government officials, government contractors nor involved in any underhand dealings, but young students pursuing their legitimate personal educational careers without ill will to anybody.
“While nothing incriminating was found in the apartment, the PPCO has been made aware of how the squad, said to be acting on ‘orders from above’ ransacked the house and destroyed valuables belonging to Atiku’s children and we demand an explanation from the leadership of the EFCC.
“The PPCO completely rejects the wicked politics that the APC and the Buhari Presidency are importing into our polity. We hereby urge all Nigerians, particularly the youths, to rise in condemnation of these vicious acts.
“Only last month, a special security squad of army, police and paramilitary agencies was unleashed to physically harass our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, at the Abuja airport, upon his return from Dubai.
“Similarly, last week, all transactions in bank accounts belonging to PDP Vice Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, his wife, his family members and their businesses were stopped by agencies of the Buhari Presidency on account of imaginary investigation.
“Nigerians are already aware of how opposition leaders and others perceived to be averse to the President Buhari’s re-election bid, on account of his woeful performance in office, are being blackmailed and framed up with spurious charges.
“President Buhari should note that, as an opposition Presidential candidate from 2003 to 2015, none of his children or family members were in anyway attacked or victimized by the governments in power. He should stop importing such vicious underhand tactics into our political hemisphere.”