Nigeria’s main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has shown that it is too shallow to return to power at the centre on February 16, according to the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO).
The group said this is obvious from the way and manner PDP leaders have been focused on President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign itinerary rather than articulate what their Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has to offer Nigerians beyond selling national assets to cronies and friends.
BMO said in a statement signed by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke that it was amusing to hear the PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus expressing concern about the President’s hectic campaign schedule so soon after he claimed that Buhari was not prepared to solicit for votes from Nigerians.
“Just imagine Secondus saying that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) wants to kill the President with pressure only a few days after his party’s spokesman Kola Ologbodiyan and other opposition elements had alleged that Buhari outsourced his re-election campaign to the APC national leader Bola Tinubu because he was not fit to withstand the rigours of the campaign trail.
“Some of them even suggested that the best President Buhari could do is to visit a few states but now that he has made campaign stop-overs in no fewer than ten states at the rate of two states per day, it is surprising that PDP is crying more than the bereaved.
“We know that the opposition is clearly stunned about the massive crowd at all the rallies the President has attended; we also know that they were hopeful that Buhari would take a back seat, especially as Atiku Abubakar’s campaign is stuttering.
“But this President will continue to campaign as well as commission meaningful federal projects like the multi-billion dollar Baro Inland Port in Niger State which was initially awarded in 2012 but was abandoned until the incumbent administration completed it”, BMO said.
The group pointed out that it was a clear sign that PDP is not certain that its Presidential candidate can unseat the President next month, and as such is prepared to latch on to anything that can confer some advantage on its party.
BMO said: “Is it not surprising that PDP that claims it would focus on issues at the onset of the campaign season has now opted to focus on mundane matters.
“This is because it has nothing to campaign with and that is why they are throwing all sorts of allegations at President Buhari, and when its leaders realised that Nigerians were not taking the bait, they now fell back to the old, worn-out and overused tale of his health status.
“But we are encouraged that President Buhari’s response is to soldier on with his ‘two states-per-day campaign agenda’ that has seen him solicit support from Nigerians he regard as the ‘real voters’ in Sokoto and Kebbi states, a day after addressing massive crowds in Borno and Yobe states”.
The pro-Buhari group noted that contrary to the impression PDP is keen on creating, the President is physically fit and agile to run the country for another four years.
“We advise PDP to go back to Dubai, if they can find the money, to re-strategise on how to be shorn of their campaign of hollowness, emptiness and shallowness. Three weeks to election is the time to sell your manifesto, and not the time to indulge in antediluvian rhetoric.