The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the 2023 presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as a paper candidate.

The PDP further stated that Tinubu is confused and intimidated by the opposition candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

The submission was made on Sunday by the PDP spokesperson, Debo Ologunagba in response to an earlier statement by Tinubu on Saturday who claimed APC is smarter and the PDP lacks direction.

Naija News reports while speaking on Saturday at the unveiling of the Tinubu/Shettima door-to-door campaign group in Abuja, the former Lagos State Governor wondered why the PDP still exists.

The former Lagos State governor stated that the ruling APC is a smarter party, urging members not to be bothered about the opposition.

However, Ologunagba in a response on Sunday said Tinubu is only trying to cover up the major issues, divert attention from the misrule of the APC and whip up sentiments.

The PDP spokesperson maintained that his party is ready to rescue Nigeria from the misrule and hardship imposed on citizens of the country come 2023.

He added in the statement that Tinubu has a lot of questionable baggage around his neck and is just demarketing the APC’s chances in the 2023 elections.

The statement reads: “Nigerians are appalled by yet another attempt by the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to divert attention from the main issues of the failures of the APC government by making derogatory remarks on the Peoples Democratic Party.

“Such fixation on the PDP only exposes Asiwaju Tinubu as a paper candidate who is confused, nervy and intimidated by the PDP’s Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and the achievements of the PDP, which stare him in the face in mortal fear of failure ahead of the 2023 elections.”

APC is a dead party

Contrary to what Tinubu said, Ologunagba submitted that PDP is alive and progressing but the APC is a dead party.

He added that some of the good works done by the PDP administration have been undone by the APC government while Tinubu is only trying to defend a failed government.

The PDP spokesperson however insisted that Nigerians are wiser and there is no way they would vote for the APC in the 2023 polls.

In his words; “Unlike the APC that is dead, the PDP is not only alive and existing as acknowledged by Asiwaju Tinubu in his statement, but also strong, united and focused on its mission to Rescue, Rebuild and Redirect our nation from the misrule of the APC.

“It is distressing that Asiwaju Tinubu speaks like someone under the influence with incoherent discourse and absence of mind that further expose a lack of capacity for leadership, especially at the Presidential level.

“It is rather shameful that the APC Presidential Candidate alluded to the nation’s railway system which was revitalized by the PDP administration but painfully surrendered to terrorists and bandits by the APC government.

“From his incoherent discourse, the APC Presidential Candidate appears to be battling with issues of ethical challenges and ineligibility to contest election on account of inconsistencies in his qualifications, name, ancestry, age, corruption allegations among myriads of issues.

“Moreover, Nigerians have realized the futility of Asiwaju’s non-existent and heavily concocted achievements, influence, leadership prowess and skills.

“Nigerians gave Asiwaju Tinubu the benefit of the doubt but he failed them by engineering a deceitful government leading to the ugly indices of insecurity and bloodletting, economic hardship, unemployment, disunity and low life expectancy imposed on our nation in the last 7 years.

“He should know that Nigerians are aware that he is in the Presidential race not to serve but to gain control of the nation’s treasury so as to expand his exploitative enterprise and economic empire beyond Lagos State.

“The APC Presidential Candidate has not responded to allegations that he is the promoter of the increase in VAT, electricity tariff, import duties, Stamp Duty, fuel price hike as well as other exploitative tolls by the APC Federal Government, from which he allegedly benefits through many stooges in the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and other revenue generating agencies of government.

Over 5 million APC members defect to PDP

The PDP spokesperson alleged further in his submission that over 5 million APC members have joined their party in the last one month because they don’t believe in Tinubu.

He said; “Asiwaju is a huge baggage to the APC. He should know that because of him there is a daily exodus of millions of APC members across the country into the PDP.

“In the last one month, over 5 million APC members have defected to the PDP. In the Lagos State axis, his supposed stronghold, close to one million APC members have decamped to the PDP since his emergence as APC Presidential Candidate.

“This is because Nigerians have recognized the PDP and its Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar as the solution our nation needs at this moment while Asiwaju has been identified as “Another Problem Coming” (APC).”