From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) was desperate to whitewash its image, ahead of the general election.
The PDP said the recent visit of APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, and his running mate, Kashim Shettima, to former president Goodluck Jonathan, was an an attempt to distance themselves from the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The opposition party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, accused the APC leaders of allegedly orchestrating “a photo opportunity with the distinguished and successful former president Jonathan of PDP.”
The PDP said: “Nigerians are scandalised over the disgraceful and hypocritical attempt by the Tinubu and other APC leaders to distance themselves from President Buhari over the abysmal failure of the Buhari-led administration in which they are principal actors.
“In a desperate design to whitewash their battered public image, identifying with the obvious successes of the PDP and in an attempt to posture as statesmen, the APC presidential candidate, his running mate, and other APC leaders, orchestrated a photo opportunity with the distinguished and successful former president Jonathan of the PDP.
“This is a patriotic Nigerian leader whose PDP-led purposeful and successful government the APC leaders viciously harassed, constantly insulted, labelled, sabotaged and discredited for their selfish power-grabbing enterprise.
“Nigerians have not forgotten how Tinubu callously vilified and pilloried Jonathan, spewed hate against his administration and reportedly funded a near riotous protest which was inflamed by concocted economic lies, propaganda and false statistics to discredit the Jonathan-led PDP administration.
“Nigerians can equally recall how Shettima, as governor of Borno State, sabotaged and frustrated the Jonathan’s administration in its effort to curb insecurity in Borno State.
“Records still have it on how the APC vice presidential candidate, as governor of Borno, failed to act on a security report and directive to close schools in remote parts of the state and relocate students to the more secure capital of Maiduguri to write their GCE examinations; thus creating the opening for the cruel abduction of school girls in Chibok, Borno State.
“It is, therefore, ironic that these same APC leaders who also spent the last seven years insulting and harassing Jonathan, now shamelessly arranged a visit and photo opportunity in an attempt to launder their image and hoodwink Nigerians from the atrocities and monumental evil they brought to our country.
“We are aware that these APC leaders have lined up several illusory antics to mislead Nigerians ahead of the 2023 general election, but they must know Nigerians have moved on and cannot be swayed by propaganda, lies, false promises and photo ops with successful individuals.”
“What is expected of APC leaders, at this moment, is to apologise unreservedly to onathan, the PDP and Nigerians for the life-discounting situation they have foisted on our nation in the last seven years. After that, they should quietly quit the stage, take valedictory pictures with terrorists, political thugs and election riggers since they cannot have any space among well-meaning Nigerians.”