Your attempt to demonise Buhari will not affect victory, APC tells PDP

The All Progressives Congress has said that attempt by the
opposition Peoples Democratic Party to demonise the party and
President Muhammadu Buhari will not affect his victory in the
forthcoming elections.

Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, the APC National Publicity Secretary,
said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, while criticising
the PDP over its failed attempt to demonise the President
Buhari-led administration.

Issa-Onilu said that the PDP had been deploying intimidation and
blackmail tactics against the Independent National Electoral
Commission particularly, and other state institutions ahead of the
general elections.

“The PDP’s line of attack cannot affect President Buhari’s
emphatic victory in the coming Feb. 16 presidential election.

“We have watched how panicky leaders of the PDP have become,
having realised that they are heading for a crushing and
humiliating defeat in the forthcoming general elections.

“In their confused and pitiable state, they have unconscionably
hurled pedestrian allegations of partisanship and partiality
against INEC and other state institutions.

“The PDP leader’s strategy is to regularly call out INEC and
allege partiality towards the APC, thereby creating doubts in the
minds of Nigerians and international community about the
independence and credibility of the electoral body, “he said.

This, the APC spokesman said, was one of the odious antics of a
desperate party that wanted to hijack presidential power, not on
the strength of having a credible alternative, but on the strength
of selfish propaganda.

According to him, the PDP has with such propaganda, masked its
real motivation for seeking a return to power which is plundering
of the public treasury.

Issa-Onilu called on Nigerians to judge between the APC and the
PDP, who could be said to have been favoured by INEC.

This, he said, was especially when considering how the
commission initially barred the APC from fielding candidates in
Zamfara and Rivers States for the forthcoming elections.

He added that less than two weeks to the elections, the APC was
still in courts to seek justice from INEC to enable it field
candidates in the two states.

“Notwithstanding our protests, calling INEC’s attention to the
fact that the PDP didn’t conduct any primaries in Kano State, the
electoral body has opted to look the other way even in the face of
glaring evidence,” Issa-Onilu noted.

He added that it was clear that the PDP was only interested in
getting to power on a stolen mandate.

He said it was not surprising that the PDP celebrated INEC’s
initial decisions on Zamafara and Rivers because it knew they stood
no chance against the APC candidates in a free and fair
election.

The APC spokesman, however, expressed shock at PDP’s allegation
that the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards was being hampered
by INEC to disenfranchise its supposed supporters.

He wondered how anyone could know the political party
affiliations of those who were yet to collect their PVCs, let alone
disenfranchise them.

He, however, stressed that the PDP and its leaders could not
hold the APC responsible for their electoral misfortunes.

Issa-Onilu added that the PDP administration’s antecedents of
treasury looting, mismanagement of the economy and widespread
insecurity had put a big wedge between them and Nigerians.

“There is no doubt that the PDP will be roundly rejected at the
forthcoming general elections. On our part, we are confident that
Nigerians will renew our mandate, “ he said.

He maintained that the APC mandate would be renewed on the basis
of its verifiable and multi-sector record of performance under the
leadership of President Buhari.

The All Progressives Congress has said that attempt by the
opposition Peoples Democratic Party to demonise the party and
President Muhammadu Buhari will not affect his victory in the
forthcoming elections.

Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, the APC National Publicity Secretary,
said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, while criticising
the PDP over its failed attempt to demonise the President
Buhari-led administration.

Issa-Onilu said that the PDP had been deploying intimidation and
blackmail tactics against the Independent National Electoral
Commission particularly, and other state institutions ahead of the
general elections.

“The PDP’s line of attack cannot affect President Buhari’s
emphatic victory in the coming Feb. 16 presidential election.

“We have watched how panicky leaders of the PDP have become,
having realised that they are heading for a crushing and
humiliating defeat in the forthcoming general elections.

“In their confused and pitiable state, they have unconscionably
hurled pedestrian allegations of partisanship and partiality
against INEC and other state institutions.

“The PDP leader’s strategy is to regularly call out INEC and
allege partiality towards the APC, thereby creating doubts in the
minds of Nigerians and international community about the
independence and credibility of the electoral body, “he said.

This, the APC spokesman said, was one of the odious antics of a
desperate party that wanted to hijack presidential power, not on
the strength of having a credible alternative, but on the strength
of selfish propaganda.

According to him, the PDP has with such propaganda, masked its
real motivation for seeking a return to power which is plundering
of the public treasury.

Issa-Onilu called on Nigerians to judge between the APC and the
PDP, who could be said to have been favoured by INEC.

This, he said, was especially when considering how the
commission initially barred the APC from fielding candidates in
Zamfara and Rivers States for the forthcoming elections.

He added that less than two weeks to the elections, the APC was
still in courts to seek justice from INEC to enable it field
candidates in the two states.

“Notwithstanding our protests, calling INEC’s attention to the
fact that the PDP didn’t conduct any primaries in Kano State, the
electoral body has opted to look the other way even in the face of
glaring evidence,” Issa-Onilu noted.

He added that it was clear that the PDP was only interested in
getting to power on a stolen mandate.

He said it was not surprising that the PDP celebrated INEC’s
initial decisions on Zamafara and Rivers because it knew they stood
no chance against the APC candidates in a free and fair
election.

The APC spokesman, however, expressed shock at PDP’s allegation
that the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards was being hampered
by INEC to disenfranchise its supposed supporters.

He wondered how anyone could know the political party
affiliations of those who were yet to collect their PVCs, let alone
disenfranchise them.

He, however, stressed that the PDP and its leaders could not
hold the APC responsible for their electoral misfortunes.

Issa-Onilu added that the PDP administration’s antecedents of
treasury looting, mismanagement of the economy and widespread
insecurity had put a big wedge between them and Nigerians.

“There is no doubt that the PDP will be roundly rejected at the
forthcoming general elections. On our part, we are confident that
Nigerians will renew our mandate, “ he said.

He maintained that the APC mandate would be renewed on the basis
of its verifiable and multi-sector record of performance under the
leadership of President Buhari.