• No comment –APC spokesman

Romanus Ugwu; Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has accused the Presidency of shopping for  political endorsements for President Muhammadu Buhari, ahead of next year’s general election.

The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the “recent stage-managed political endorsements” are “hypocritical and disgusting signs of desperation.”

The party equally  alleged  that the endorsements were coordinated by three presidential aides, a serving minister from the South South and some officials of the All Progressives Congress(APC).

“This cabal is also responsible for the renting of crowds who are usually conveyed in buses, trucks and trailers, to fill the space during president Buhari’s visits to various states of the Federation, as witnessed in Benue, during the last visit of Mr. President.”

The party alleged that recently, the government organised some Arewa pastors, to visit Buhari, in Aso Rock and endorse him for the 2019 presidential contest.

“It is heartrending that because of the desperation of one man, the integrity of Nigeria’s seat of power has again been ridiculed as the world watched religious bodies and groups in the country disowning the procured band.

“The fact that this disgraceful drama came barely a week after our nation suffered an international show of shame over president Buhari’s presentation with a procured award fraudulently linked to the late Martin Luther King Jr, speaks volumes of this administration’s proclivity for falsehood, lies and deception.

“Having failed to gain any endorsements from reputable international figures, such as Bill Gates and the Martin Luther Kings Jr group, the APC and the Presidency have now, shamelessly, resorted to cheaper ways and means, particularly, along the unregulated and porous religious and sectional lines.

“It is now overtly manifest that the Buhari administration is ready to even stage anything, no matter how ignoble, including fake rescue missions, to deceive Nigerians,” it said.

The PDP stated that if Buhari had fulfilled the least of his numerous 2015 campaign promises to Nigerians, there would not have been any need for the government to be shopping for awards and endorsements, ahead of next year’s election.

“That president Buhari could be begging for endorsements only points to the fact that he and his cabal have lost the support of Nigerians whom his administration has subjected to horrible economic hardships, traumatic bloodletting and a bleak future,”it said.

Regardless, the APC has dismissed PDP’s claims.

Reacting to the PDP, National Publicity Secretary of the ruling party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, initially said APC has no time replying trivialities from the opposition party, but noted that there is no truth in such claims.

“How do expect me to respond to every triviality from PDP?

“What do they mean by renting crowd? Has political campaigns started?

“By the way, does Buhari need to rent crowd or shop for endorsements? You should know that we are busy for our National Executive Committee meeting today.

“We don’t have time to comment on irrelevances. My official reaction to this is no response,” the ruling party spokesperson said.