The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has claimed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Presidency are hawking the 2023 presidency to both the South East and South West respectively in exchange for votes, in its desperate bid to hang on to power.
It could be recalled that, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, had sometimes ago told the APC campaign while speaking on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari that the President would hand over the reins of power to a South-Easterner, while on his part, Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo had also charged leaders of the South-West last week to support the re-election of Buhari so as to get the presidency in 2023.
This was contained in a statement issued by the PDP presidential spokesperson, Prince Kassim Afegbua, Sunday, December 23, 2018 where queried that how could the president be promising South-Easterners the Presidency when his Vice President was also promising the South-Westerners same position in 2023, in order to win his pre-election.
Afegbua explained that, “In its desperation to hang on to power despite its abysmal failure so far, the APC and the Presidency, have resorted to trading with the lure of 2023 presidency, promising both the South East and South West respectively of the 2023 presidency in exchange for votes.”
“Giving out two promises has exposed the insincerity and dubious intention of the Buhari-led Federal Government with the people of the South-East and South-West geopolitical zones with empty promises of bequeathing power to the two zones at the same time in 2023, he said.
According to the PDP Presidential Campaign Organization spokesperson, “this was why Nigerians cannot take the APC and the Buhari presidency serious any longer, as the country prepares for the 2019 election”.
He calls for concern adding, “Two principal officers of the same government cannot be fooling Nigerians with vainglorious promises all in the name of re-election. Such discordant tunes by the first and second citizens of our dear country have exposed lack of synergy, and display of double standard and double-speak by chieftains of a government that has continued to display wanton desperation to hold on to power at all cost in the face of monumental failure.”
He also queried that “How can the president be promising South-Easterners the Presidency when his Vice President is also promising the South-Westerners same position in 2023, all in the name of 2019 re-election?.
Afegbua also added “This is a clear show of deceit, desperation, crass insincerity and hypocrisy of the highest order. This is a clarion call on the South-Easterners not to trust such carrot being dangled before them as it has become obvious that this government neither fulfils promises nor keeps any covenant.”
Afegbua who lampooned the APC led federal government, noted that the same government cannot promise the Igbos and Yorubas at the same time if it were sincere about the shape of politics of 2023 presidency.
He said “the president cannot on the one hand be playing God by decreeing which zone it intends to bequeath the reins of power, while his Vice President on the other hand is also promising his South-West zone of same position.
He described the act, as “a typical feature of power hawkers, in their desperation to hoodwink buyers to patronise their morbid products. The Nigerian public must wake up to this double-speak and vote out this inconsistent government in 2019,” Afegbua asserted.