APC presidential campaign council dismisses criticism of 2023 manifesto

The Director of Planning, Research and Strategy, Directorate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Dr. Musa Babayo, on Thursday, dismissed criticism of the party’s 2023 manifesto.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign council had criticised the APC severally since the 80-page document was unveiled by President Muhammadu Buhari about two weeks ago in Abuja.

The Director of Strategic Communications of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Momodu, had in a statement issued just 24 hours after the manifesto was made public described the document put together by the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a plagiarized version of the 1993 manifesto of the late politician, Chief MKO Abiola.

On Wednesday, the spokesman of the campaign council, Daniel Bwala, also picked holes in the document.

Bwala, who featured in a Channels Television’s programme, Politics Today, described the manifesto as a campaign against President Buhari’s administration.

Babayo, who spoke at the inaugural meeting of the campaign council in Abuja, however, said the PDP was attacking the APC because it has a slim chance of winning next year’s election.

READ ALSO: Why I was in doubt, confused during APC primary – Tinubu

Babayo said: “You know, politicians have a way of distracting their audience from the message. We are taught in business school that management is management, and I know its basic principles are planning, coordination and control. Nobody is going to reinvent the wheel. Issues keep on changing.

“That’s why I am telling you that this manifesto is not ‘copy and paste.’ It is a brand new document that has incorporated the monumental challenges and otherwise in the Nigerian state. In the security challenge that was highlighted in the Hope ’93 manifesto, there was no issue with the Maradi-Kano train line in it. Nigeria of 1993 is different from the one of today.

“I want to dismiss the comment made by the PDP spokesman. They have a right to talk because we are already ahead of the competition. And when you are ahead of the competition, you should expect those who are following you from behind to try as much as they can to shrink your market share. This political market share will continue to expand until we deliver Tinubu and Shettima as president and vice president in 2023.”

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