Atiku Is Blackmailing Buhari, APC Cries Out

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, of blackmailing President Muhammadu Buhari.

The ruling party made the allegation in a statement on Wednesday, hours after the PDP candidate faulted the President’s anti-corruption war.

It, however, said criticising its candidate in the 2019 general elections would not distract him and the present administration from ridding the country of corruption.

“President Buhari remains unshaken by the desperate efforts being made by Atiku and the PDP to blackmail the APC government,” the APC said in the statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Lanre Issa-Onilu.

“The trajectory is exciting as we see a brighter future shaping up. We won’t yield to the PDP’s shenanigans.”

President Buhari had told an audience on Tuesday that the government was slow in tackling corruption because of the system.

He had said, “Fighting corruption; Yes. We are slow because the system is slow. It’s not Baba that is slow but it is the system. So, I am going by this system and I hope we will make it.”

But Mr Atiku told the President to own up to his responsibilities and not to blame the nation’s system for his failure.

He noted that while he commended President Buhari for “admitting that he has failed in fighting corruption,” Atiku said, “My point of departure from the President is in blaming his failure on the system.”

“I disagree. The system has challenges, yes, but where there is political will, the system can make progress.”

The APC, in its response, alleged that the PDP was strategising to truncate Nigeria’s journey towards economic buoyancy and social stability.

It insisted that the opposition party had no better alternative to the progressive course the present government was pursuing.

Read the full statement by the APC below;

The PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is exhibiting early signs of depression, resulting from obvious frustration.

Consequently, he is unable to focus on his campaign. Otherwise, he should tell Nigerians why a discredited person like him should be elected as President instead of raising puerile allegations on a daily basis.

President Buhari and APC, not his programmes for the country appear to be his main campaign issues. Nigerians are desirous of campaign that focuses on issues that matter to them.

For Atiku and his PDP co-travellers, the only interest is to grab power and continue where they stopped in their avarice.

The APC administration is eager to showcase the impressive achievements we have recorded in the last three and half years. This is the campaign that matters to us and this is what Nigerians are interested in.

The trajectory is exciting as we see a brighter future shaping up. We won’t yield to the PDP’s shenanigans. The obvious strategy of the PDP is to truncate the country’s journey towards economic buoyancy and social stability.

We will not play the PDP’s game. PDP is acting an anti-people’s script. President Buhari remains unshaken by the desperate efforts being made by Atiku and the PDP to blackmail the APC government.

Everyone who was involved in corrupt practices would be brought to justice. PDP is not offering any alternative to the progressive course this government is pursuing.

It is actually apparent that the party is not contesting the 2019 elections to redeem itself, least of doing any good for the country, but simply to seize power to escape justice for the grievous crimes committed against the people of this country.

Nigerians won’t be fooled by the rapacious PDP gang. Never.

Lanre Issa-Onilu

National Publicity Secretary of APC