Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared that the unintended prayer by the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at the kick-off of his campaign in Jos on Tuesday is a confirmation of his innermost conviction that the PDP represents the hope and aspiration of the majority of Nigerians for a secure, prosperous future of Nigeria..
Stonix News reports that while addressing his supporters at the rally, the former Lagos State governor had, ostensibly, made a faux pas by praying to God to bless the rival PDP when he actually meant to mention APC.
He, however, swiftly corrected himself by saying “God bless APC.”
Video clip of what can be regarded as a slip of tongue has, however, gone viral on the social media.
But a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the main opposition party, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP maintained that the fact that Tinubu made the prayer “during his flopped Presidential Campaign Flag-off in Jos, Plateau State is a pointer that it was not a slip of tongue but a divine proclamation that the hope for Nigeria, which he harped on, can only come from the PDP.”
“It is instructive to note that the APC Presidential Candidate had earlier, in his address, admitted that Nigerians were “in distress” under his failed APC but that hope is on the way.
“Since Asiwaju Tinubu’s prophetic blessing on the PDP, our Party has been receiving flurries of calls, solidarity messages and visits from key members of the APC, who believe that his prayer is a divine act of God to point the nation to the right direction.
“It is apparent that Asiwaju Tinubu was speaking under the ostensible weight of the recent revelation of his indictment for narcotic trafficking which has become a huge burden from which he cannot extricate himself and for which he has lost all moral and legitimate capacity to occupy the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“This, perhaps, explains why Asiwaju Tinubu was incoherent and had no concrete message to Nigerians at the flag-off of his campaign.
“It was pathetic as Nigerians watched with pity as the APC Presidential Candidate, who is dazed by the intimidating credentials and popularity of the PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, could not articulate any solution to the myriad of problems brought upon our nation by the failed APC which he boasted of having installed and superintends over as national leader.
“Asiwaju Tinubu could not proffer any solution or idea to the challenges of insecurity, disunity, unabated killings, rising unemployment, tumbling Naira, collapsing economy with unprecedented debts of over N40 trillion arising from somersaulting macro-economic policies of his failed and corrupt APC government,” he added.
The PDP counselled the APC to note that “Nigerians are not ready to listen to a Presidential candidate like Asiwaju Tinubu, who continues to engage in insults, vituperations and uncontrolled outburst rather than focus on issue-based campaign.”
It advised the APC flag bearer to be more concerned with his narcotic link and inconsistencies in his personal biodata of name, age, ancestry, education and record of work which it said Nigerians have the right to know.
“Having prayed for the PDP as the hope of the nation, Nigerians expect Asiwaju Tinubu to have the courage to admit the fact that is already in the public domain, apologize to the nation and withdraw from the race,” the PDP declared.