Tinubu Is Buhari’s ‘Third Term’ Says PDP Group

 

A group, Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP Action 2023 says the government of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu if he wins in next year’s presidential election, will be an extension of Buhari’s presidency.

The APC candidate is in what many has described as a three horse presidential race between Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, presidential candidates of the PDP and Labour Party, respectively. 

Not a few insist that President Muhammadu Buhari has failed in many of his electoral promises, particularly on economic and security fronts.

The PDP group said Nigerians will face more hardship if Tinubu becomes president in 2023, saying “Tinubu is Buhari and Buhari is Tinubu.”

Buhari recently said he is tired and ready to go back home to Daura, when his tenure expires in 2023, following trenchant remarks from many Nigerians who said he has failed as commander in chief.

As an insider in the APC government, not a few Nigerians insist that Tinubu must share in the blame for being instrumental in Buhari’s rise to power, and his woeful performance as president.

The former Lagos State Governor and APC National Leader had while announcing his readiness to succeed Buhari earlier this year, told the president that “my ambition is not blind to the extent that I will step on his toes. I just want to step into his shoes and not on his toes.”

Tinubu said last week that he will continue where Buhari stopped if he becomes president in 2023.

Festus Keyamo, the APC candidate campaign spokesman, said last week that “There are areas where PMB’s Govt has done exceedingly well: infrastructure, rail, agriculture, etc. Our @officialABAT will continue with those revolutionary strides, but also seek to improve on them.

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“There are areas of security challenges that have improved significantly, e.g. farmers-herders clashes, North-East insurgency, etc; @officialABAT will review these situations & employ additional strategies to maintain the momentum & consolidate the gains achieved in these areas”.

“As for new areas of security challenges, e.g. banditry and kidnappings in the N/West, @officialABAT is prepared to employ additional tools and tactics to complement the present work in progress in order to totally eradicate them if Nigerians graciously give him their mandate”.

Speaking in a statement Rufus Omeire, the group chairman said Nigeria faces an existential threat if Tinubu succeeds Buhari as president, saying his presidency will be a continuation of the Buhari’s administration.

The statement reads: “The APC presidential ticket for 2023 general elections is an attempt to give President Muhammadu Buhari a third term in office.

“Recently, a former APC chairman and ex-Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, sought to distance Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate, from the disastrous government of the incumbent president, General Muhammadu Buhari. This is most disingenuous for many reasons.

“In the first place, by the provisions of the constitution of Nigeria, it is a political party that sponsors a candidate for the presidential election. In this case, the ruling APC is sponsoring Tinubu.

“Secondly, for practical reasons, it is the name of the political party that will be on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ballot paper during elections and so, APC will be on the ballot, not even Tinubu.

“Thirdly, Tinubu is the acknowledged and recognised National Leader of the APC, a position he shares with President Buhari. Indeed, by Tinubu’s own admission, he was largely instrumental in foisting President Buhari on Nigeria.

“He has given crucial support to the APC government of President Buhari and repeatedly publicly praised the policies and direction of the APC government. He is the philosopher king of APC’s misrule in Nigeria.

“Fourthly, during the APC primaries, he was massively endorsed by the party to continue from where Buhari will stop. The word in the APC is continuity. The fulcrum of the APC campaign has been a firm promise to replicate the sterling performance of the APC government of Buhari, if Tinubu happens to win in 2023.

“Make no mistake about it, a Tinubu presidency would be just another term for Buhari. Note that Tinubu and Buhari have the same divisive streak, the same arrogance, and contempt for peoples’ views and feelings,” the group said.