The campaign flag off the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, on Monday has been described as a disaster and a show of shame by Festus Keyamo.
The Director of Public Affairs and Chief Spokesperson for the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council and Minister of State for Labour and Employment, said this in a statement on Monday night.
Keyamo said the PDP failed woefully to put its house in order before hitting the road to ask for the votes of Nigerians.
The ruling party said the PDP lacks the capacity to unite Nigeria as it cannot even resolve its internal squabbles getting close to elections. It added that the boycotting of the event by some governors who are members of the party and other key party officials was a pointer that the party would be defeated in 2023.
Part of the statement reads, “The launch of PDP’s presidential campaign today (Monday) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, was, as expected, a disaster waiting to happen. Once again, the delinquent PDP continued to treat the now discerning Nigerian public with disdain and disrespect.
“Aside from the obscenity of a poorly-scripted farce misnamed a flag-off, Nigerians suffered today additional trauma of having to witness a show of shame, listening to a litany of falsehoods spewed out at the gathering by failed, expired and rejected politicians.
“For example, if not the loss of the sense of shame, what else could have goaded PDP’s now discredited ‘sit tight’ National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to be audacious enough to stand on a podium today in Uyo and make any promise to Nigerians.
“How can a party that cannot unite itself promise to unite Nigeria? How can a party that brazenly violates its own constitution on zoning be trusted to obey the constitution of Nigeria if again trusted with power?
“When you have a flag-off campaign that is shunned by the National Vice-Chairmen of the South-South, South-West, and five sitting governors out of thirteen, that is a definitive and resounding red-flag that Nigerians should not vote the presidential candidate of the PDP in this coming election.
“Not much should, therefore, be expected from such a gathering. With the obvious inability of its presidential candidate to assuage frayed nerves of disaffected persons within their ranks, how will it be possible for such a person to unite people within such a diverse landscape as Nigeria? You definitely cannot give what you don’t have.”