The All Progressives Congress, Presidential Campaign Council, APC-PCC, has blasted the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for deliberately twisting the statement of its presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on the alleged plot to scuttle the general elections through fuel crisis and naira notes redesign.
A statement signed by the spokesman for the APC-PCC, Bayo Onanuga, said Mr Tinubu’s remark only echoed what is well known and acknowledged, even by President Muhammadu Buhari at different fora.
He also accused the opposition of attempting to create a wedge between Tinubu and Buhari.
It was reported that Asiwaju Tinubu, during a campaign rally in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Wednesday, alleged that the fuel scarcity and naira redesign were orchestrated by saboteurs to deny him victory at the February 25 presidential polls.
He, however, boasted that despite the conspiracies, he would still win the election.
In response to the remark, the PDP said insulting Mr Buhari will not save the APC presidential candidate from defeat.
The PCC, however, maintained that the APC candidate didn’t mention President Buhari’s name in his statement.
“Nigerians should no longer be in doubt about those working in cahoots with fifth columnists in the system to inflict avoidable pains on our hapless people for political end.
“No sooner Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu empathized with the Nigerian people facing the dual crises of fuel and new Naira notes scarcity, than the opposition PDP and the Atiku camp issued a knee-jerk response, derailing from the issues, distorting Asiwaju’s statement, and trying, in vain, to create a wedge between our presidential candidate and President Muhammadu Buhari.
“When the guilty are afraid of being “uncovered, they try to push back with red-herring
“For the records, Asiwaju Tinubu during APC campaign rally at Abeokuta on Wednesday, in his statement, did not mention, blame or accuse President Muhammadu Buhari for the current challenges in the country,” he said.
“Asiwaju Tinubu was only adverting government’s attention to the sabotage being carried out by some Fifth Columnists in the system, possibly working in cahoots with the PDP.
Mr Onanuga regretted that despite the assurances by CBN officials, including the Governor Godwin Emefiele that the new Naira notes have been supplied to the banks, many Nigerians are still unable to access the new currencies.
“In recent days, many ATMs are either not working or when working, they are dispensing the old notes, just a few days to the January 31 deadline.
“Similarly, Asiwaju Tinubu is aware of the salutary efforts by President Buhari to end the fuel queues, by chairing a 14-man panel. Yet the queues and agony continue.
“Our presidential candidate only re-echoed what is well known and acknowledged, even by President Buhari himself at different fora: That there are Fifth Columnists in and outside of government who often throw spanners in the works against good intentions and programmes of the government.
“How does an advisory genuinely made by Asiwaju Tinubu to protect and create goodwill for the government of his party become an attack? It can only be so in the jaundiced view of the PDP.
“It is in this light we found amusing the directionless Atiku Campaign’s bagful of mischief in their hurriedly put together press statement meant to gain shameful mileage from the suffering of Nigerians.
“PDP and Atiku should remember not to get high on their own smoke. No political blackmail and an attempt to create a conflict between Tinubu and his long-term ally, President Muhammadu Buhari can succeed.
“We have bad news for Atiku and his handlers: their latest mischief is therefore doomed to fail.
“As a patriotic and compassionate leader, Asiwaju Tinubu will not stomach seeing ordinary Nigerians being made to face excessive difficulties over mundane issues due to activities of petrol and currency hoarders.
“As a proud leader of the APC, Asiwaju Tinubu would not also look indifferent as his party and the government get dirtied with black brush at a critical time like this, whether he is a candidate or not,” the statement added.
