The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned what it described as virulent attacks on its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party also flayed similar comments by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Lai Mohammed as well as other officials of the Buhari Presidency.
At a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, decried what he viewed as deliberate efforts by agents of the ruling party to impugn on the character of Atiku Abubakar.
Ologbondiyan said the APC and the Presidency are intimidated by the successful conduct of the PDP presidential primary and the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as presidential candidate of the main opposition party.
Ologbondiyan said, “They have gone into panic mode and ignobly resorted to trading on rumour and spurious allegations, having failed in their evil machination to scuttle our presidential primary ambition.
“The PDP is aware of how the unnerved and intimidated Buhari Presidency has unleashed its officials, spin doctors and hack writers with billions of naira, siphoned from our national treasury, to fabricate lies, spurious allegations and smear campaign against our presidential candidate.
“While it is understandable that President Muhammadu Buhari is discomfited and afraid to face a popular candidate in any elections due to his incompetence, for which Nigerians earnestly seek his replacement, engaging in smear campaign, as a means of survival, is completely reprehensible and cowardly.
“President Buhari and the APC, in their desperation, should not attempt to confuse personal economic prosperity that comes from hardwork, as in the case of Atiku Abubakar, with corrupt enrichment. That President Buhari failed in leading a successful personal economic life does not mean that others cannot succeed without being corrupt.
“Furthermore, unlike President Buhari, who has failed in managing both private and public enterprises; who also confessed his failure to successfully manage his own farm and has made no personal contribution to our national development, our Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is internationally known as a hard working, resourceful, versatile and successful private entrepreneur, a vast employer of labour; an ingenious citizen, who has made immeasurable contribution to our national development both in public and private lives.
“It is therefore a heinous perversion for Lai Mohammed, who has earned himself a notoriety, to the extent Nigerians now replace his first name, ‘Lai’ with ‘lie’, to attempt to suggest that the choice of Atiku Abubakar is a return to era of corruption, whereas President Buhari is internationally reputed to be presiding over the most corrupt administration in the history of our nation”.
The PDP spokesman reminded Alhaji Lai Mohammed that while Atiku has never been indicted for corruption or facing any corruption charge, President Buhari is overburdened by indictments and allegations of humongous corruption, for which he has failed to provide explanations.
Continuing, the PDP said, “Since Lai Mohammed is talking about era of corruption, we charge him to speak up on the leaked memo detailing the stealing of N9 trillion ($25billion dollars) through underhand oil contract at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Ministry of Petroleum, under President Buhari’s direct supervision.
“Lai Mohammed should speak up on the alleged siphoning of N1.4 trillion through sleazy oil subsidy regimes and those benefitting from the alleged N58 hidden tax per liter which Nigerians have continued to bear since the fuel price increase from N87 to presumably unsubsidized cost of N145.
“Lai Mohammed should speak up on why the Buhari Presidency is suppressing investigation into alleged use of 18 unregistered companies to lift and divert N1.1 trillion worth of crude oil in 2017 and the President’s alleged link with the beneficiaries of this fraud.
“Can Lai Mohammed tell Nigerians how the Buhari era allegedly presided over the stealing of over N18 billion from the funds approved for rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and rebuilding of six northeast states ravaged by insurgency?
“Can Lai Mohammed tell Nigerians how over N25 billion meant for health needs of Nigerians was stolen by the Presidency cabal from the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), and how the same cabal siphoned the $322 million repatriated by Switzerland, under the guise of sharing the funds to the poor?”.
The main opposition party added that it’s only in an administration like the Buhari Presidency that thrives in lies and deception, that characters like Lai Mohammed, with his proclivities, can be appointed a Minister.
“This is the same person, who nearly caused a national crisis when he, in May 2015, accused former President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP of frustrating the activities of then Transition Committee only for the head of the APC team, Alhaji Ahmed Joda, to declare that that the team had all the cooperation from the PDP.
“This is the same Lai Mohammed, who, in 2014, alleged that the PDP denied a plane carrying a state governor from landing in Ado Ekiti to attend the APC Governorship election rally in the state, only for the State Government to debunk the lie stating that the governor did not travel to Ekiti but was attending official functions in the state.
“This is the same Minister that has not been able to explain the circumstances surrounding his attempt to obtain over N13 million from the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) under the mask of a ‘loan’, against budgetary approvals and principles of the Treasury Single Account (TSA)”.
The PDP said that in as much as it remained committed to issue-based campaign ahead of 2019 elections, it will not by any means tolerate further lies and fabrications from the Buhari Presidency, particularly from agents “who have no ethical substance” to make allegations against any Nigerian.
The party counseled the Buhari Presidency and the APC to shed their resort to lies, falsehood and smear campaign and get prepared to face an inevitable crushing defeat, come 2019.
