PDP claims Tinubu forced to lead Buhari campaign to avoid corruption trial

The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) has continued its attacks on the co-chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

The party asked Tinubu to respond to allegations that he succumbed to leading the “Buhari ill-fated re-election bid following purported threats by agents of the Buhari Presidency to expose and prosecute him for corruption allegations, and not because he believes in the propriety of President Buhari’s re-election.”

It also called on the APC national leader to explain his role in the Buhari Presidency cabal, through which “President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration crippled our nation’s economy.”

PDP had earlier told Tinubu that Buhari will only “use and dump” him as the Presidential allegedly did before after the former Lagos governor helped him to emerge President in 2015.

PDP attacks followed Tinubu’s comment that Buhari is an honest man unlike the opposition party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

In a statement Wednesday night, Director, Media and PublicityPDP Presidential Campaign Organization, Kola Ologbondiyan, said: “It is very unfortunate that at the time Nigerians, across the board, are boldly jettisoning their personal interests and joining in the quest to rescue our nation from President Buhari’s incompetent, corrupt, divisive and anti-people regime, a leader of Asiwaju’s status is chasing personal interests and self-preservation.

“Nigerians can recall how Asiwaju in January 2018, at the 15th Annual Daily Trust Dialogue rejected the Buhari administration’s nepotism, incompetence, corrupt oil subsidy regime; blamed it for the high-level of poverty in our country and urged Nigerians to be guided by their conscience in electing leaders in the 2019 general elections.

“Berating the Buhari administration, Asiwaju held that ‘too much political and economic power resides in the hands of too few. This result in a society described by too much unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, too little food, yet too much poverty’.

“Asiwaju had also rightly posited that, under President Buhari, ‘rather than becoming a joyous nation, Nigeria has become a cruel playground where the fears and concerns of the average person get exploited but their interests never get promoted.’

“He then concluded by urging Nigerians to follow their conscience in the 2019 elections by resisting ‘unthinking passions and old prejudices’, which is the hallmark of President Buhari’s re-election campaign.”

The party then said, “The question Nigerians are asking now is, what has suddenly changed in President Buhari’s leadership style to warrant Asiwaju’s full circle turn.

“Nigerians have seen that Asiwaju’s involvement in Buhari 2019 campaign is not motivated by any national or even regional interests but by personal reasons far from the general good.

READ ALSO: Buhari running a corrupt govt- Saraki

“While we understand the frustration being faced by Asiwaju in this unfortunate task of marketing a rejected product, we caution him to be careful not to allow the ill-fated Buhari Presidency to destroy whatever is left of the respect he has earned among Nigerians, who have already made up their minds to rally behind the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as the next President of Nigeria.

“Asiwaju, by now, would have noted how Nigerians berate him whenever he lends himself as a tool in the hands of the Buhari Presidency to cast aspersions on Atiku Abubakar.

“We therefore counsel Asiwaju to be mindful of his status in the pantheon of leaders and note that he is not with Nigerians in his new enterprise, for which he now needs to clear his name over alleged involvement in the anti-people cabal at the Buhari Presidency.

“We also want to caution Tinubu on his penchant for making unsubstantiated allegations against our candidate, Atiku Abubakar.”

The PPCO added that Tinubu has no moral rectitude to make allegations against Atiku.

“He should control his emotions and ensure that he desists from making frivolous allegations against Atiku Abubakar, whom Nigerians have resolved to elect as President, come 2019,” PPCO said.

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