The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has lashed out at the vice-presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Kashim Shettima, over his recent outburst on him.

Shettima, while speaking at the presentation of his principal, Bola Tinubu’s campaign manifesto to the business and organised private sector leaders in Lagos State on Tuesday, said Atiku cannot unite Nigeria when “he has not united his party”, adding that the former Vice President lacks the experience to lead the country.

Reacting via a statement issued on Wednesday by the Director of Strategic Communications of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Momodu, Atiku said the APC cannot be expected to tackle the security challenges bedevilling the country after Boko Haram insurgency became an intractable menace during the administration of Shettima as the governor of Borno State.

Momodu further took a swipe at the APC over the crisis that erupted during the composition of the party’s presidential campaign council, saying the ruling party is in “total disarray”.

He said: “It is our belief that Alhaji Shettima, in a moment of deliberate amnesia, must have tried to point fingers at the specks in another man’s eyes while studiously ignoring the giant logs in his own eyes.

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“The APC is in total disarray with prominent members of his party openly apologising to Nigerians for the unmitigated disaster it has foisted on Nigeria since 2015. This is one of the reasons APC members have been migrating in droves to PDP.

“It took almost forever for APC to achieve the simple task of constituting its Presidential Campaign Council, due to the total lack of unity in their party. It is very obvious that APC has become completely rudderless and many self-respecting members are jumping ship and being recovered by PDP.

“How can these APC candidates ever unite Nigerians when they’ve shown open disdain for the democratic and voting rights of certain ethnic groups within their domains? Everything about APC and its candidates has been shrouded in secrecy and they are just unable to tell Nigerians the truth about anything. How can Nigerians be expected to place their faith in such mysterious characters?

“Alhaji Shettima alleged that Atiku Abubakar cannot be trusted with the economy of Nigeria. No heresy could be worse than this. Nigerians would want to know what businesses the APC candidates have managed personally and successfully except living outlandishly on government booty and largesse.

“Atiku Abubakar started business as a teenager and served meritoriously as a government officer in the Customs where he assisted so many Igbo traders, according to available testimonies. In Atiku’s private life, he remains one of the biggest employers of labour in Nigeria. He has brought jobs to Nigerians instead of shipping jobs out.

“How can APC be expected to guarantee the safety of lives and properties when right under the watch of Alhaji Shettima as Governor of Borno State, Boko Haram became an intractable menace and Nigeria is yet to fully recover till this day?

“PDP is extremely proud of its antecedents and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar And Governor Ifeanyichukwu Okowa are fully ready to recover Nigeria from the hands of the most incompetent leaders in the history of Nigeria,” Momodu stated.

The Star