2019: APC, PDP banter, condemn Buhari, Atiku as unfit to be president

As the campaigns for the 2019 presidential polls heat up, the two major political parties in the contest are still at each other’s throats, giving reasons why Nigerians should not vote the other.
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to a live one-on-one debate with its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar on critical sectors of national life.

But the ruling APC on Sunday called on the presidential candidate of the Atiku, to tell Nigerians the truth about the alleged travel ban placed on him by the United States of America (USA).

According to the party, Nigeria deserves a better President than a “fugitive coming to occupy the highest office in the country. Our great country, Nigeria deserves better.”

The PDP accused Buhari of being “mortally afraid” to face Atiku in a general debate organised by independent bodies, and challenged the President to choose a venue, date and time convenient for him to face Atiku before a neutral panel.

The PDP which stated this on its Twitter handle, also accused Buhari of neglecting troops fighting Boko Haram Terrorists in the North East.

Boko Haram terrorist, were said to have recently killed over 40 Nigerian soldiers in Metele, Borno State.

The party wrote: “We are however pained that President @Mbuhari has neglected our troops fighting in the North East and reneging on his promise to “lead the fight from the front”. This has resulted in the vulnerability and killing of our soldiers by insurgents.

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“Nigerians are aware that President @Mbuhari is mortally afraid of facing our candidate, @Atiku, in a general debate organized by independent bodies. For this, we therefore ask him to choose a venue, date and time convenient to him to face our candidate before a neutral panel.

“President @Mbhari must face @Atiku in person, as Nigerians are not ready to accept any representation, whosoever, from him. If, as a Commander-In-Chief, Mr President cannot face a political debate, how then can he vigorously engage international competitors?”

On it’s part, the APC stated in a statement by its deputy national publicity secretary, Yekini Nabena, on Sunday in Abuja, that Atiku’s recent travel to Dubai was to raise “presidential campaign cash from foreign financiers by mortgaging key national economic assets particularly the NNPC as payback.”

“The unwillingness of PDP governors to financially support the 2019 Presidential campaign of Alh. Atiku Abubakar is already public knowledge. In fact, information is now rife that the Dubai meeting attended by Atiku and other PDP leaders was a last-ditch effort to raise presidential campaign cash from foreign financiers by mortgaging key national economic assets particularly the NNPC as payback.

“This disturbing development must be checked by relevant agencies particularly the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, the country’s arm of the global financial intelligence Units mandated to collect information on suspicious or unusual financial activity suspected of being money laundering and then share such information with relevant anti-crime or regulatory agencies.

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“Again, a challenge the PDP presidential candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar must take up is coming clean on the nagging issue of his travel ban to the United States of America following his indictment for corruption in that country.

“To borrow the words of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, we must stop electing rogues, hooligans and criminals into public office. Truly, we cannot have a fugitive occupying the highest office in the country. Our great country, Nigeria deserves better,” the statement read.

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