Osun Election/Fake Bishops: PDP tells Tinubu to withdraw from presidential race

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that it condemned in the strongest term, the “profane and highly provocative act of desperation by the sinking APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the face of APC’s collapsing leadership, membership and followership structure across the country, saying Tinubu should withdraw from the 2023 presidential race.

The party, speaking through its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba, at a Press Conference in Abuja on Friday, said, “Nigerians are sickened by videos and pictorial evidence of known mechanics, bus conductors and fraudsters, sacrilegiously being dressed in fake bishop vestments and paid to endorse the unveiling of Asiwaju Tinubu’s widely rejected running mate, Sen. Kashim Shettima.

“Such action is unacceptable and unbecoming of any individual aspiring to a leadership position at any level let alone, the office of the President. This is an embarrassment to leadership.

“With this scandalous act, Asiwaju Tinubu, who is still battling with issues of alleged perjury, non-existent certificate and allegations of extortions, has become more ethically challenged and lost all moral standing to seek election as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“More sickening is the outcry by the hirelings that they were defrauded by agents of the APC Presidential candidate, who paid them sums ranging from N30,000 to N40,000 as against the N100,000 they were earlier promised.

“It is, therefore, ludicrous that instead of being remorseful and asking for forgiveness, the APC Presidential Campaign is shamelessly posting lame denials and excuses in the face of hard and verified evidence of its involvement in the shameless venture”, PDP said.

PDP said it was not surprised by the attitude of the APC Presidential Campaign, saying, “Such is consistent with the character and DNA of the APC, which was never a political party, but a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), hurriedly put together by conflicting bed-fellows and inchoate sailors clobbered together for remote personal gain and whose only interest is to defraud Nigerians through falsehood, lies, deceit, bribery, Temporary Loyalty Purchase, corruption of established institutions and violation of set rules without regards to the feelings, sensibilities and wellbeing of Nigerians.”

“With this ugly episode, Nigerians now know the individual who has been the planner and executor of the lies, false promises and corruption of the APC that have brought disunity, excruciating hardship, mass killings and political instability in the country in the last seven years.”

PDP said the APC Presidential candidate and his party should know that it is in his own interest to withdraw from the race, as it will be futile to go into an election in which the will and aspiration of the people are manifestly against him and the APC.

“It is now crystal clear to Nigerians why the people of Asiwaju’s ancestral State of Osun and the South West geo-political zone, which ought to be his natural stronghold outrightly rejected him and his APC in the July 16, 2022 Governorship election in Osun the State.

“PDP’s sweeping victory and the spontaneous jubilation across our country are direct statements by Nigerians on their resolve to stand on the platform of the PDP, to free themselves from the agonising stranglehold of the lying, cruel and life-discounting APC and its Presidential Candidate.

“Furthermore, Asiwaju Tibunu’s humiliating rejection in Abuja, where he had reportedly rushed to, in a desperate bid to frustrate the smooth conclusion of the Osun State Governorship election, is a clear testimonial that the APC Presidential Candidate has been roundly deflated.

“Our Party is privy to reports of how doors were locked against APC leaders in Abuja and how their frantic telephone calls and corrupt offers to truncate the Osun election were turned down.”