PDP, APC trade words over alleged plot to shift 2023 polls
.APC desperate to use doomsday orchestrations to frighten, blackmail INEC to alter electoral schedule, says PDP
.PDP raising false alarms, manufacturing outright lies, innuendos – APC
By Benjamin Omoike
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday traded words over alleged plot to postpone the 2023 general elections.
While the PDP in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, alleged that the APC planned to take advantage of insecurity to “impose an undemocratic situation on our country,” the APC in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, spokesperson of its presidential campaign council, in reaction to the PDP’s claim, described the opposition party’s accusations as a ploy to distract Nigerians from its “absentee presidential candidate”.
Debo Ologunagba, PDP’s national publicity secretary, in a statement on Friday, said: “Our party had earlier alerted the nation of a well-oiled plot by the APC to orchestrate security situation and promote circumstances to warrant the postponement of the 2023 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“The APC and its presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu know that they have no chance at all in the coming elections, having been rejected by Nigerians because of their multiple failures, recklessness, humongous corruption, violence and continuing infliction of pains, hardship and life-discounting experiences on Nigerians in the last seven and half years.
“The APC and its leaders are desperate to use their doomsday orchestrations to frighten and blackmail INEC to alter the electoral schedule after which the APC will take advantage of the situation to unsettle the general election, foist a constitutional crisis and truncate the nation’s democratic process.
“The PDP therefore charges INEC, as an independent institution, not to succumb to the blackmails of the APC but focus on its preparations and fix its eyes on delivering a free, fair, transparent and credible election on February 25, 2023.”
Reacting, the APC described the PDP’s position as “senseless, “adding that the accusations by PDP are a ploy to distract Nigerians from its “absentee presidential candidate”.
The ruling party also described the PDP as “confused and afraid of its own shadows”, saying it has nothing but pity for the opposition party.
“Our attention has been drawn to the jumbled press statement given by the rudderless and very confused Peoples Democratic Party today (Friday). We have nothing but pity for a party that has become a mess and total embarrassment to itself and its despondent members”, Bayo Onanuga, Director, Media and Publicity at APC Presidential Campaign Council PCC said in a statement.
APC noted that for lack of nothing tangible to tell Nigerians six weeks to a general election as its candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar disappeared from the campaign trail, PDP has resorted to making irresponsible statements just to fill media space.
“The latest is the false information that the Federal Government and INEC plan to postpone the general elections.
“Nigerians are advised to ignore this senseless conjecture from PDP as there is no iota of truth in the allegation.
“The electoral umpire has made it abundantly clear of its readiness to conduct the elections and these elections will hold as scheduled in February and March this year”, APC stated.
According to the ruling party, President Muhammadu Buhari has given Nigeria the most credible elections both regular and off season since 2015 and has consistently assured Nigerians, even up to two days ago that 2023 elections will hold.
“Similarly the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has reiterated President Buhari’s position that the Federal Government has no intention to postpone elections.
“Knowing that it has no path to victory and no real agenda for development to sell to Nigerians by its absentee presidential candidate, PDP has nothing profitable again to engage in other than raising false alarms, manufacturing outright lies and disseminating innuendos to deceive the public”, the APC declared.
According to the statement, PDP should know that Nigerians have rejected it and no amount of falsehood can redeem a political party that wrecked the economy, under its watch, created massive insecurity and looted money meant for development.
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“If we go by what the party’s presidential candidate has been saying, no lesson about the ignoble past has been learnt as he has promised to sell the NNPC Limited assets for just $10 billion, the way he sold prime national assets for peanuts under his care.
“As a party and presidential campaign council, we are focused on the message of renewed hope of our candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima.
“We shall also continue to tell Nigerians about the achievements of the APC-led Federal Government of President Muhammadu Buhari across sectors especially in areas of the infrastructural development, agricultural revolution and food security, rebuilding of our armed forces with sophisticated hardware and reforms in the oil and gas sector among others”, the statement added.
