Temidayo Akinsuyi, Lagos
The ruling All Progressives Congress
(APC) on Monday said it was going into the new year confident that
President Muhammadu Buhari would be re-elected by appreciative Nigerians
at the February poll.
But Kola Ologbondiyan, the National
Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said – based
on current developments in the country and the mood of Nigerians who
were disenchanted with President Buhari – there was no way APC could win
in 2019 except by rigging and banditry.
Speaking with Daily
Independent, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, APC’s National Publicity
Secretary, said Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the PDP, could
not win the election because Nigerians would not want to go back to the
past.
According to Issa-Onilu, the year 2019 holds a lot of
promises as President Buhari would use it to consolidate on the
foundations he had laid so far in the areas of his three cardinal
programmes, which are revamping the economy, fighting corruption, and
securing the nation from attacks.
He said: “Our expectation is
very high in 2019, especially as regards the presidential election. We
are confident that President Muhammadu Buhari and APC will emerge
victorious.
“The people of Nigeria know that we cannot afford to
go back to the past like we were under PDP. They know that with APC, the
future is very bright. The signs are very encouraging.
“So, we
see 2019 as a year to further consolidate on the gains of the last three
and half years and, hopefully, by December 2019, we will have cause to
thank God for what He has done for this country through President
Muhammadu Buhari and the APC.”
On his part, Ologbondiyan
expressed confidence that the PDP would return to power in 2019,
maintaining that the general feelings among Nigerians was that President
Buhari must be voted out in 2019.
He said: “The APC cannot win
by a wider margin than they did in 2015 except they want to engage in
banditry. Looking at what is happening in the country today and the
resolve across party lines, there is no way any right thinking Nigerian
will want this present government to continue for another four years.
“The
general feeling among Nigerians is that President Buhari must be voted
out of office. So, I don’t know how anyone will come out and say he will
be re-elected by a wider margin. How that is possible still remains a
mystery to me except they are confident that the elections will be
massively rigged in their favour.
“Where will the votes come
from? The goodwill Buhari enjoyed four years ago has vanished. Everybody
who participated in bringing Buhari to power has abandoned him.
“Even
former President Olusegun Obasanjo openly declared that the nation
cannot afford to reinforce failure. So, where will the votes come from?
It is self-delusion of grandeur and that is what the APC and the
presidency are engaged in.”
Source:- Independentng
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