The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has alleged that the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress are gathering what it called lies against its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Already, the PDP alleged that both the Presidency and the APC had hired some unnamed persons to assassinate the character of Atiku.
It said the action of the Presidency and the APC “is a sign of defeat.”
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, who spoke at a press briefing, in Abuja, on Thursday, specifically accused the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, as well as other unnamed officials of the Presidency, of making deliberate efforts to impugn on the character of Atiku.
He said, “Since the successful conduct of our Presidential primary and the popular emergence of Atiku Abubakar, the Buhari Presidency and the APC have become intimidated, one into panic mode and ignobly resorted to trading on rumour and spurious allegations, having failed in their evil machination to scuttle our Presidential primary ab initio.
“The PDP is aware of how the intimidated Buhari Presidency has unleashed its officials, spin doctors and hack writers with billions of naira, siphoned from our national treasury, to fabricate lies, spurious allegations and smear campaign against our presidential candidate.
“While it is understandable that President Muhammadu Buhari is discomfited and afraid to face a popular candidate in any elections due to his incompetence, for which Nigerians earnestly seek his replacement, engaging in a smear campaign, as a means of survival, is completely reprehensible and cowardly.”
Ologbondiyan added that President Buhari and the APC, should not attempt to confuse personal economic prosperity that came from hard work, as in the case of Atiku, with corrupt enrichment.
He alleged that because President Buhari allegedly failed in leading a successful personal economic life “does not mean that others cannot succeed without being corrupt.”
Ologbondiyan said that the minister failed to note that Nigerians were aware that, while Atiku had never been indicted for corruption or facing any corruption charge,
“President Buhari is now overburdened by indictments and allegations of humongous corruption, for which he has failed to provide explanations.”
He said that since the minister was talking about the era of corruption, he should also speak up on the alleged leaked memo which he said detailed the stealing of N9tn through underhand oil contract at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the Ministry of Petroleum, under President Buhari’s direct supervision.
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