The presidential standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council clashed again on Thursday over allegations made by Tinubu that the PDP was plotting to disrupt the upcoming February election. Tinubu accused the PDP of embezzling $16 billion intended for the power sector, while the Atiku-Okowa campaign council called for an investigation by the Department of State Services and other agencies into Tinubu’s alleged plans to undermine the country through violent revolution and riots.
Speaking to a large crowd of supporters in Makurdi, the capital of Benue State, Tinubu clarified that his previous comments regarding fuel scarcity and currency redesign had been misinterpreted. He emphasized that the PDP had neglected the oil industry, awarding oil blocs to themselves and their associates. “They (PDP) met good oil prices for 16 good years, but they didn’t remember gas pipelines. They are what I called saboteurs yesterday. They gave PMS licenses to their supporters and sympathizers. They are the ones who started creating fake queues. PDP, enough is enough,” he stated. Tinubu further alleged that the $16 billion purportedly invested in the power sector had been misappropriated by PDP leaders and their cronies in Abuja. He promised to implement student loans and restore hope to Nigerians, particularly internally displaced persons and workers owed salary arrears. He described the party’s governorship candidate, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, as a beacon of hope, faith, and prayers.
Earlier, the leader of the APC in the state, Mr. George Akume, who also serves as the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, defended the Muslim-Muslim ticket, asserting that Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima, had the qualifications necessary to reposition Nigeria if given the opportunity. In response to Tinubu’s allegations that the PDP was responsible for the ongoing fuel scarcity to sabotage the elections, the PDP PCC claimed that his remarks at the APC presidential rally in Abeokuta were indicative of the violence he was planning. Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communications, Phrank Shaibu, made this assertion in a statement on Thursday.
Shaibu stated, “Tinubu’s outburst at the APC rally in Abeokuta was a prelude to the violence the Lagos godfather was planning.” He recalled that during his address, Tinubu nearly declared himself the winner of an election that was still 29 days away, using an entitlement mentality that he had previously employed to secure his party’s nomination. The PCC argued that Tinubu’s comments, which suggested that the upcoming election represented a “revolution,” warranted interrogation by security agencies, as he was not above the law. They emphasized that his statements should not be taken lightly to prevent potential bloodshed during the elections.
Furthermore, the media aide alleged that Tinubu had begun to fund certain activists to stage protests in strategic locations, particularly in Abuja, to incite violence ahead of the elections. These protests would ostensibly address the ongoing petrol scarcity, an issue he had previously avoided discussing. Some demonstrations would also target the Central Bank of Nigeria, pressuring it to extend the deadline for the currency swap. Shaibu dismissed Tinubu’s claims that the PDP was behind the petrol scarcity and the shortage of new naira notes, labeling them as absurd given that the PDP had not been in power for the past eight years.
In response, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, criticized Tinubu’s allegations, suggesting they indicated a loss of sanity. He remarked, “All this underscores the instability and unsoundness of mind of the APC presidential candidate. He cannot stand on an issue. He is unsteady and cannot decipher the issues. I am not sure he is aware of where he is.” Ologunagba pointed out the contradiction in Tinubu blaming the PDP for fuel shortages while the Minister of Petroleum was the President of the government he had previously boasted about installing.
Meanwhile, PDP presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar reiterated his commitment to restructuring the country, as demanded by the southern states. He stated on Thursday that his administration would prioritize restructuring if he were elected president.
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