Why Buhari Is Reluctant To Support Tinubu – Melaye

Director of Public Affairs in the PDP Presidential Campaign Management Committee, Senator Dino Melaye, yesterday said President Muhammadu Buhari may have decided not to hand over the country to man who has amputated himself, hence his refusal support the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu. 

Melaye added that the drama playing out within the All Progressives Congress (APC), shows that the mainstream of the party is neither proud nor pleased with its presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Melaye, who is also a presidential campaign spokesman, was reacting to the recent comments by Tinubu and Kaduna State governor Nasir el-Rufai, accusing fifth columnists in their APC government of sabotaging their presidential campaign.

Reacting however said Melaye, in a statement, said “Overwhelmed by undisguised public disenchantment, poor campaign management, internal dissent and multiple contradictions, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and leading voices of the party are aligning with reality by conceding victory to the PDP ahead of the February 23 Presidential election. 

“Although they blame their imminent defeat on insider sabotage, whatever is manifesting in the ruling Party today is predictable and contextual. From inception till now, the APC has been a marriage of convenience that is headed for divorce and a child of circumstance that is suffering from maturation lag. Either way, it is a hopeless case.

“The candid confession by  Ahmed Bola Tinubu that the leadership of his Party is working against him, the confession of Ahmad El-Rufai that the Villa is working hard to ensure the defeat of APC and the wide adoption of these views by their Party leaders can only signify the amplification of tones of defeat.”

“Our Presidential Candidate and Party members are working round the clock, reminding Nigerians of the good days of Nigeria under PDP, and assuring of a new lease of life when, by the grace of God, it returns to power in 2023. On the other hand, the APC, after blaming the PDP for 8 years and gaining no conviction, is now blaming itself. The Party is simply self-destructive.”

He added that as much as President Buhari is liable for the failings in his party, he can not be liable for the personal shortcomings of the Candidate of APC, “who bears a heavy burden of his controversial past and an inglorious present replete with unmitigated exhibition of incoherence, incapacity and incompetence.”

He added, “If a man boasted of his redemptive power to deliver President Buhari from perennial failure in Presidential aspiration, why should he now rely on Buhari to win elections? It is a case of ‘Physician, Heal Thyself’

“The PDP is grateful to Tinubu and APC for calling the attention of Nigerians to the suffering occasioned by currency change, fuel scarcity, high exchange rate and the undeniable admission that the APC is neither coordinated nor united to serve the interest of Nigerians. 

“From the drama playing out in APC, it is obvious that the mainstream of the Party is neither proud nor pleased with its candidate. If it is also true that President Buhari, who has been talking of bequeathing great legacies is not pushing Tinubu’s ticket, then the President may just want to spare Nigerians from the plague of handing over a relay race barton to a man who has wilfully amputated himself.”

He added that the PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, has emerged as the front runner and the preferred choice even by competing parties. 

He added that Atiku will unite Nigerians, restore progress, and realign Nigeria to its pride of place in the comity of nations.

“With the daily lamentations of APC, the inevitable failure of the Party in the polls, and the fatigue evident in its Presidential Candidate, the PDP is looking forward to savoring victory with a great deal of responsibility,” he added.