The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, and his party have lost moral standing to contest election in the country.

The PDP said the alleged hiring of “artisans, fraudsters, and mechanics” to act as clergymen during the unveiling of Sen. Kashim Shettima as the APC’s vice-presidential candidate in Abuja, as well as many accusations against the party standard-bearer should have given the ruling party the reason to withdraw from the presidential race.

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, said this during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday.

According to Ologunagba, the desecration of religious sensibilities of Nigerians by the APC to cover its rejected Muslim-muslim ticket was condemnable.

“With this scandalous act, Asiwaju Tinubu, who is still battling with issues of alleged perjury, non-existent certificate and allegations of extortions has become more ethically challenged and lost all moral standing to seek election as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The PDP, in the strongest term, condemns this profane and highly provocative act of desperation by the sinking APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the face of APC’s collapsing leadership, membership and followership structure across the country.

“Nigerians were sickened by videos and pictorial evidence of known mechanics, bus conductors and fraudsters sacrilegiously being dressed in fake bishop vestments and paid to endorse the unveiling of Asiwaju Tinubu’s widely rejected running mate, Sen. Kashim Shettima.

“Such action is unacceptable and unbecoming of any individual aspiring to a leadership position at any level let alone, the office of the President. This is an embarrassment to leadership,” he said.

Ologunagba added that the APC and its presidential candidate have resorted to denial of its action to which it is known for bringing “misery, poverty and weakened Nigeria’s economy”.

He stated: “It is therefore ludicrous that instead of being remorseful and asking for forgiveness, the APC Presidential Campaign is shamelessly posting lame denials and excuses in the face of hard and verified evidence of its involvement in the shameless venture.

“With this ugly episode, Nigerians now know the individual who has been the planner and executor of the lies, false promises and corruption of the APC that have brought disunity, excruciating hardship, mass killings and political instability in the country in the last seven years.

READ ALSO: Shettima’s unveiling: CAN decries hiring of ‘unknown’ clerics

“our productive sector has been completely wrecked; the over $550 billion economy (largest in Africa and 26th globally) with a naira value of N167 to the Dollar handed over by the PDP has been brought to its knees with the naira now crawling at N665 to a Dollar today.”

The PDP spokesperson asserted that the ruling party has only succeeded in impoverishing businesses and accruing debt that gulps NIgeria’s revenue, saying: “Nigeria’s debt stock has astronomically risen from N12 trillion under the PDP to N41.6 trillion with our nation going broke as Debt Servicing cost has now surpassed Government revenue with over N300 billion.

“Today, millions on businesses have been shut down due to harsh economic policies and high cost of fuel; unemployment has risen to over 35%, cost of food items, medication and essential services have skyrocketed beyond reach as over 90 million Nigerians are no longer able to afford their daily meals and other basic necessities of life.”

Ologunagba said Nigerians, through Osun State governoship election, have shown clearly where their preference lay, adding that the citizens would replicate for the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in 2023.

“It is now crystal clear to Nigerians why the people of Asiwaju’s ancestral State of Osun and the South West geo-political zone which ought to be his natural stronghold outrighly rejected him and his APC in the July 16, 2022 governorship election in Osun the State.

“PDP’s sweeping victory and the spontaneous jubilation across our country are direct statements by Nigerians on their resolve to stand on the platform of the PDP to free themselves from the agonizing stranglehold of the lying, cruel and life-discounting APC and its presidential candidate,” he added.

The PDP spokesman further stated that with the recent rejection of APC in Osun and the “blasphemous desperation in deamining religious belief”, the party should simply withdraw from the race before soaring popularity of the PDP defeat them.

READ ALSO: Tinubu: I didn’t hire carpenters, mechanics, yam sellers as clerics

“The APC Presidential candidate and his party should know that it is in his own interest to withdraw from the race as it will be futile to go into an election in which the Will and aspiration of the people are manifestly against him and the APC.

“Asiwaju has no political fighting chance in the face of the soaring popularity of PDP’s very competent, candid, transparent, people-oriented and much more prepared Presidential Candidate, His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar at the poll.

“The PDP is poised for a winning campaign and as always, our Party is open to suggestions and further collaborations with well-meaning Nigerians as we collectively march to liberate our nation in the 2023 general elections,” Ologunagba stated.

The Star