PDP lambasts APC for promising both the southeast and the southwest the presidency in 2023

PEOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) officials have lashed out at the ruling All Progressives Congress saying it is misleading Nigerians after two different senior officials made contradictory promises with regards to where its next presidential candidate will come from.

With President Muhammadu Buhari due to leave office in 2023 at the end of his second term, the APC's next presidential candidate will come from the south of the country in line with the gentleman's rotation agreement among Nigeria's elite. However vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo recently said the APC's next presidential candidate will come from the southwest, while secretary to the federal government Boss Mustapha, said the person will hail from the southeast.

Reacting to the debacle, PDP presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, said it was now very clear that the vice president and President Buhari were on a mission of deceiving the people of the southeast and southwest geo-political zones. Former vice president Alhaji Abubakar, warned the two geo-political zones to take their destinies in their own hands.

Alhaji Abubakar added: “In its desperation to hang on to power despite its abysmal failure so far, the APC and the presidency have resorted to trading with the lure of 2023, promising the southeast and southwest in exchange for votes. Giving out two promises has exposed the insincerity and dubious intention of the Buhari-led federal government with empty promises of bequeathing power to the two zones at the same time in 2023.

"This is why Nigerians cannot take the APC and the Buhari presidency seriously any longer as we prepare for the 2019 election. Two principal officers of the same government cannot be fooling Nigerians with vainglorious promises all in the name of re-election.

“Such discordant tunes by first and second citizens of our dear country have exposed lack of synergy and a display of double standards and double-speak by chieftains of a government that has continued to display wanton desperation to hold on to power at all costs in the face of monumental failure. How can the president be promising south easterners the presidency when his vice president is also promising the south westerners the same position in 2023, all in the name of 2019 re-election?"

Mr Boss had made his remarks while representing President Buhari at a function in Owerri, while Professor Osinbajo made his promise while on the campaign trail. Of the three geo-political zones in the south, only the southeast is yet to produce a president as the southwest and south-south have produced presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan respectively.

Alhaji Abubakar added: “This is a clear show of deceit, desperation, crass insincerity and hypocrisy of the highest order. This is a clarion call on the south easterners not to trust such carrots being dangled before them as it has become obvious that this government neither fulfils promises nor keeps any covenant.

“The same government cannot promise the Igbo and Yoruba at the same time if it were sincere about the shape of politics of 2023 presidency. This government has an uncommon reputation for deceit, lies, insincerity and hypocrisy, especially when it has to do with its 2019 re-election bid.”