Buhari’s emergence as sole presidential candidate will crush APC – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Thursday said with the
"emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari, who has become grossly
unpopular among Nigerians, as sole Presidential candidate," the All
Progressives Congress (APC) "is now irredeemably doomed for a crushing
defeat in the 2019 general elections."

PDP pointed out that President Buhari's "fear to contest an elective
presidential primary, for which he and a few APC leaders scared away
other presidential contestants within their party with threats and
high nomination form fees, ended up ruining APC's chance of fielding a
good candidate for the election."

A statement by PDP's spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan said, "Had
President Buhari shed his desperation for power and allowed for
internal democracy within the APC, particularly when it became clear
that Nigerians across board have become averse to his re-election, due
to his incompetence and insensitivity to the plight of the citizens,
there would have been little hope for the APC.

"In muzzling contest in APC and gleefully emerging a sole candidate,
President Buhari has merely won a pyrrhic victory; a General without a
troop, with no capacity to face a general election, as the army of
stakeholders and the masses that supported him in 2015 have since left
him because of his unfulfilled promises and many failures in
governance.

"Now that Mr. President has confirmed by his body language that he had
no chance in a party he leads, how then can he stand a chance in the
general elections where millions of Nigerians, who are suffering
untold hardship because of his misrule are only waiting to deal him a
blow with their votes?

"Owing to Buhari's incompetence, Nigerians' purchasing power has
become abysmally low, industries have wound up with attendant mass job
losses, foreign direct investments have hit all time low,
international partners have totally lost confidence in doing business
with our compatriots, while this administration has no economic
blueprint except borrowing.

"Since President Buhari's declaration to contest the 2019 election,
true democrats and other well-meaning citizens have continued to leave
the APC in droves to the repositioned PDP, which has now become the
rallying platform for all Nigerians, in their collective quest for a
new President among the array of very credible aspirants in the PDP.

"Moreover, while it is settled that President Buhari is no match to
any of our presidential aspirants, all indices points to his imminent
defeat as the PDP remain committed to a credible, free, fair and
transparent Presidential primary, where Nigerians will freely
participate to throw up that President that will lead our nation to
the path of unity, peace, good governance and economic prosperity for
our people."