The Peoples Democratic Party had said the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, and his running mate, Kashim Shettima, were identifying with former President Goodluck Jonathan to hoodwink Nigerians ahead of the 2023 elections.
The main opposition party maintained that both Tinubu, Shettima and other APC critical actors have been taking measures to distance themselves from the alleged failure of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari’s (retd) regime.
The PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the recent meeting between the trio was an attempt by the APC presidential and vice-presidential candidates to launder their image.
Tinubu and Shettima met with Jonathan in Abuja on Tuesday in continuation of his consultation ahead of the 2023 elections.
A source privy to the meeting said “His visit to Jonathan shouldn’t come to anyone as a surprise. Tinubu holds no grudges with any political whether within the party or in the opposition,”
“Nigerians are scandalized over the disgraceful and hypocritical attempt by the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress , Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other APC leaders to distance themselves from President Muhammadu Buhari over the abysmal failure of the Buhari-led administration in which they are principal actors.
“In a desperate design to whitewash their battered public image, identifying with the obvious successes of the PDP and in an attempt to posture as statesmen, the APC Presidential Candidate, his running mate, Sen. Kashim Shettima and other APC leaders shamelessly orchestrated a photo opportunity with the distinguished and successful former President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party.
“This is a patriotic Nigerian leader whose PDP-led purposeful and successful government the APC leaders viciously harassed, constantly insulted, labelled, sabotaged and discredited for their selfish power-grabbing enterprise.
“Nigerians have not forgotten how Asiwaju Tinubu callously vilified and pilloried Dr. Jonathan, spewed hate against his administration and reportedly funded a near riotous protest which was inflamed by concocted economic lies, propaganda and false statistics to discredit the Jonathan-led PDP administration.
“It is indeed provocative that after turning our nation into a vast killing field by emboldening terrorist elements to massacre our citizens; wrecking our once robust economy, elevating corruption to an official state policy and turning our nation into the poverty capital of the world, APC leader are seeking to beguile Nigerians again.
“We are aware that these APC leaders have lined up several illusory antics to mislead Nigerians ahead of the 2023 general elections, but they must know that Nigerians have moved on and cannot be swayed by propaganda, lies, false promises and photo ops with successful individuals”