TheCable

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has responded to a recent comment by Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). 

While speaking on Saturday at the unveiling of the Tinubu/Shettima door-to-door campaign group in Abuja, Tinubu mocked the opposition party over its crisis.

The former Lagos governor, who described the PDP as a party that lacks direction, said he wonders why it still exists. 

Reacting in a statement issued on Sunday, Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, said Tinubu made the comments to deflect attention from the APC’s failure to govern effectively.

Ologunagba said Tinubu is “intimidated” by the achievements of the PDP, adding that the party will win the presidency in 2023. 

“Nigerians are appalled by yet another attempt by the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to divert attention from the main issues of the failures of the APC government by making derogatory remarks on the PDP,” the statement reads. 

“Such fixation on the PDP only exposes Asiwaju Tinubu as a paper candidate who is confused, nervy and intimidated by the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the achievements of the PDP, which stare him in the face in mortal fear of failure ahead of the 2023 general elections.

“Unlike the APC that is dead, the PDP is not only alive and existing as acknowledged by Asiwaju Tinubu in his statement, but also strong, united and focused on its mission to Rescue, Rebuild and Redirect our nation from the misrule of the APC.  

“It is distressing that Asiwaju Tinubu speaks like someone under the influence with incoherent discourse and absence of mind that further expose a lack of leadership capacity, especially at the Presidential level.

“It is rather shameful that the APC presidential candidate alluded to the nation’s railway system which was revitalised by the PDP administration but painfully surrendered to terrorists and bandits by the APC government.

“From his incoherent discourse, the APC presidential candidate appears to be battling with issues of ethical challenges and ineligibility to contest election on account of inconsistencies in his educational qualifications, name, ancestry, age, corruption allegations among myriads of issues.

“Moreover, Nigerians have realised the futility of Asiwaju’s non-existent and heavily concocted achievements, influence, leadership prowess and skills.

“He should know that Nigerians are aware that he is in the presidential race not to serve but to gain control of the nation’s treasury to expand his exploitative enterprise and economic empire beyond Lagos State.”

The opposition party said Tinubu is a “huge baggage to the APC”, adding that “he should know that because of him, there is a daily exodus of millions of APC members across the country into the PDP”.

“In the last month, over 5 million APC members have defected to the PDP. In the Lagos State axis, his supposed stronghold, close to one million APC members have decamped to the PDP since he emerged as APC presidential candidate,” the PDP said. 

“This is because Nigerians have recognised the PDP and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as the solution our nation needs at this moment while Asiwaju has been identified as ‘Another Problem Coming’ (APC).”