By Daniel Kanu
The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) on Wednesday took a dig at President Muhammadu Buhari over what it describes as the president’s flopping campaigns.
The opposition party said this was evident in the scanty attendance at the president’s campaign rally in Lokoja, Kogi State on Wednesday.
A statement by the national publicity secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said the low attendance was an indication that Nigerians were not ready to return Buhari to office for a second term.
The PPCO said the president could neither articulate any clear
message nor get his figures and statistics right at the All Progressives
Congress (APC) presidential zonal rally held in Lokoja, Kogi State.
The PPCO also berated the APC national chairman, Adams
Oshiomhole, who, they accused of taking to “name-calling, abuses and
hate comments against the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar,
and other respected Nigerian leaders, ostensibly in a failed bid to
cover for their failures in office.”
The party said Oshiomhole’s action was an act of frustration
“It is instructive for President Buhari to note how poorly Nigerians
responded to his campaign flag-off in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, as well as
his zonal rallies, where his rented attendees even refused to wave the
APC brooms and paid no attention to him whenever he mounted the stage to speak.
“At the Lokoja rally, President Buhari spent less than four minutes in
making a vacuous address, issued warning to Nigerians and had to beat a
hurried conclusion when he realized that nobody was paying attention.
“President Buhari however, betrayed his unsettled emotions when he told
his audience that he was sworn into office on May 19, 2015, instead of
May 29, 2015, a pointer to the level of incompetence with which the
nation’s affairs has been handled.
“The PPCO also asks President Buhari to end his playing to the gallery on
the fight against corruption and get serious by prosecuting members of
his Campaign Council, who all have allegations of corruption hanging on
their names.”
Berating Oshiomhole, the PPCO said the APC national chairman
was so over-burdened by allegations of corruption and stealing both as
governor of Edo State and APC chairman, that he believes that accusing
others and casting aspersions at the PDP will help him.
The PPCO reminded Oshiomhole that he had to flee the country last year
to avoid being arrested by the Directorate of State Services (DSS) over
allegations of corruption and had to return after allegedly striking a
deal with agents of the Buhari Presidency for protection.
“The PDP Presidential Organization therefore calls on the National Peace
Committee to immediately sanction Oshiomhole for his hate comments on
the party and PDP leaders at the Kogi rally.
“Finally, the PPCO urges President Buhari and the APC to note that their
smear campaign is in vain as Nigerians have since made up their minds to
rally with Atiku Abubakar as their next President ahead of the February
Presidential election.”