2019 presidency: PDP mocks Buhari, APC over ‘flopped’ North central rally

The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization, PPCO, has mocked President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress, APC, over what it described as ‘scanty attendance at the campaign rally in Lokoja on Wednesday.

The party said the turnout “is an indication that Nigerians are not ready to return him into office for a second term.”

The PPCO stated that this accounts for the flopping of APC’s Presidential Zonal rally held in Lokoja, Kogi state, on Wednesday, where, it claimed that “President Buhari could not articulate any clear message, even as he mixed up figures and statistics.”

The PPCO also berates Adams Oshiomhole, the ruling party’s National Chairman who, “out of frustration, took 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 PPCO in a statement signed by its Director, Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, said “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 says “the APC factional National Chairman is 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.”