The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that there are fresh moves by the Tinubu Campaign organization to derail the 2023 general elections and put Nigeria’s democracy in jeopardy.
The PDP in a statement by its spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, accused the Tinubu Presidential Campaign of plans to use certain compromised All Progressives Congress (APC) members in both Senate and House of Representatives to create tension in the polity and derail the conduct of the elections.
“There is credible intelligence of how the APC Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu allegedly directed his cronies in the APC leadership of both Houses of the National Assembly to reconvene Plenary and use the Legislative Chambers as platforms to promote incendiary speeches with the view to overheating the polity and making it appear unconducive to conduct elections in the country.
“This is in furtherance of the alleged scheme by the APC Presidential Campaign to use all means including APC leadership of the National Assembly to orchestrate security situations that will justify its reported demands to postpone elections as a prelude to the derailment of the electoral process, having realized that it has no chance in the elections.
“Our Party has been made aware of a deceptive design by the APC leadership in both Chambers of the National Assembly to reconvene Plenary under the guise of being concerned about the hardship faced by Nigerians due to the scarcity of new Naira notes induced and aggravated by the exposed sinister diversion of new Naira notes by the Tinubu Campaign.
“Further information indicates that the Tinubu Presidential Campaign, which is reportedly intercepting new Naira notes for vote buying purposes, has also directed the APC leadership in the National Assembly to use their Legislative instruments to pressure and compromise financial institutions to succumb to their cash diversion agenda.
“Nigerians can now note the real motive behind the recent statement credited to the APC leadership of the National Assembly where it attempted to justify its plan to reconvene the National Assembly at this time.
“If indeed the APC leadership of both Chambers of the National Assembly are concerned about the biting cash scarcity, we challenge them to publicly condemn the reported plot by APC leaders and its Presidential Campaign, to clandestinely swap a whopping N22.5 billion in old N1000 notes for new ones in Kano and Lagos States for the purpose of vote buying.
“We also challenge the APC leadership of the National Assembly to commence an investigation into the N22.5 billion fraudulent cash swap report if truly it is concerned about the suffering and anguish Nigerians are facing in accessing the new Naira notes.
“It is instructive to note that the Tinubu Campaign has not denied the reported criminal N22.5 billion cash swap for vote buying. Instead, it has resorted to hauling of insults and lame diversionary claims,” the party’s statement partly read.
The PDP advised the APC Presidential Candidate to “end his resort to underhand dealings”, particularly this attempt to compromise the National Assembly. He should quit the race since he has nothing to offer, instead of seeking to truncate our electoral process.
According to the PDP, Nigerians in any case, have since made up their minds to votes enmasse for the PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, “who genuinely stands with the people and embodies the collective hope and aspiration of Nigerians in the mission to rescue our nation from the misrule of the deceptive, insensitive, corrupt and rudderless APC”.
