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Dirty aspects of APC, PDP campaigns

THAT politics is a dirty game is playing out in the camps of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

From mudslinging to misinformation, hire-wired deceit, campaign of calumny and spewing of outright falsehood and lies, politicians are throwing decorum and decency to the winds.  Their aim is to pull down their perceived political opponents and damage their reputation and electoral value before the February 14, 2015 General Elections.

ENCOMIUM Weekly’s Associate Editor, UCHE OLEHI takes you into the dirty campaigns of PDP’s President Goodluck Jonathan and his opponent in the APC, General Muhammadu Buhari. 

We start with Jonathan men’s attack on Buhari…

BUHAHI’S ‘MISSING’ CERTIFICATE

President Jonathan’s supporters have been telling Nigerians that the APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari is not fit to govern Nigeria as he lacks the basic educational qualification to be at the helm of affairs.  Challenging the former military ruler to make public his WAEC certificate and other relevant qualifications, they had been ridiculing the retired general in sponsored write ups and political cartoons.  Interestingly, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has since cleared the APC flag bearer. But that has not stopped Jonathan’s foot soldiers from taking on Buhari on the controversial issue. In fact, a sponsored video on You Tube, ‘Buhari Pull Over and Show me Your Certificate’ has gone viral.

HIS AGE ISSUE

The PDP are also writing Buhari off as a tired, spent, old horse.

The War General, according to the party’s communication team, is almost 80.  They, therefore, want voters to support Jonathan who is young and agile. There are various cartoons the ruling party’s hatchet men generated to show that Buhari is indeed older than his age.  Hence, the appellation, Pa Buhari.

PHANTOM HEALTH CHALLENGE

The public has equally been told that Buhari has Prostate Cancer!  In fact, his opponents over the weekend brandished a medical report from Ahmadu Bello Teaching Hospital (ABTH) (now Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, ABUTH), claiming the APC presidential candidate has a serious medical issue.  But the Buhari’s campaign organizations has vehemently dismissed the allegation as ‘the highest level of political distraction, malice and mischief.’  Still very much mad at the peddlers of the toxic rumour, Buhari’s spokesman Garba Shehu said the report is fake and fallacious. On the planned trip of Buhari to America next week, Shehu said General Buhari is only reaching out to the West ahead of the February 14 polls.  Jonathan’s men, however, insist he is travelling for medical attention, having allegedly collapsed in Calabar, Cross River State, arrived late at some of the party’s campaigns and reschedule some on health grounds.  They also ‘photoshopped’ the General in order to portray him as sick and unable to stand the rigours of campaigns.

The ruling party is obviously telling Nigerians to be weary of another Yar’Adua who refused to disclose he was sick only for him to win the Presidential election and die in office months after he was sworn in as President.

HIS PLOT TO JAIL CORRUPT POLITICIANS

A vote for Buhari is a vote for long jail terms for corrupt political office holders, according to PDP. In fact, in his campaign in Lagos State, Jonathan assured his supporters he won’t build prisons to jail politicians for 300 years or even more. He was referring to the action Buhari meted out to Second Republican politicians after he ceased power from ex-President Shehu Shagari.

Buhari has replied Jonathan saying he would be a democrat and not a dictator if elected President.

BUHARI CAN’T REMEMBER HIS PHONE NUMBER

In another ridiculous campaign speech, President Jonathan claimed Buhari is so out of touch with modern reality that he can’t remember his phone number. He also said he is not digital.  Buhari’s men have, however, rubbished Jonathan’s unfounded claim, revealing the General had more followership in the social media than him.

ALLEGATION OF PLOT TO ISLAMISE NIGERIA

President Goodluck Jonathan’s camp wouldn’t stop revealing how Buhari would declare Sharia in all parts of the country immediately he is sworn in as President. They make reference to a statement credited to him years back.  Here he encouraged Muslims to demand for Sharia wherever they were.  They equally refer to the control of the party by Muslims.  PDP have not yet recanted this allegation despite the fact the APC flag bearer chose a pastor as running mate.

BUHARI’S DAUGHTER PAYS N34M SCHOOL FEES ABROAD

Shooting more arrows of criticism, Buhari’s opponents have also alleged his daughter, Zahra attends one of the most expensive schools in the world, though he carries on as a modest man.  According to them, he pays all of N34 million school fees per session.

BUHARI DOESN’T RESPECT WOMEN

Buhari is also being castigated for his aversion to the office of the First Lady. The Jonathan’s camp have gone as far as 1984 to remind Nigerians he didn’t include women in his cabinet.  They didn’t stop there.  They want the General to show some respects to Nigerian women like Jonathan whom they say has accommodated more women in his government than any other Nigerian military or democratically elected leader.

HOW HE DEPORTED 700,000 FOREIGNERS

The Jonathan camp also claim that the repressive military regime of General Buhari deported over 700,000 nationals from neighbouring African countries.

Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has also received heavy knocks from his political opponents. These are what they say about the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

JONATHAN AND CORRUPTION

Jonathan’s political opponents say his government stinks with corruption.  From massive theft of crude oil in the creeks to the alleged missing NNPC $53 million and Excess Crude Account funds, the APC say he is the most corrupt Nigerian president, not minding that no case has been filed against him in any court of law.

This is a standard rhetoric at all of the party’s campaigns.

JONATHAN AS A FAILED LEADER

Buhari camp say there is nothing good about the Jonathan administration despite its claims of transformation across all the sectors. Effortlessly portraying him as a failed leader, General Buhari himself told his supporters at a campaign rally that Nigerians would be in trouble if Jonathan returns to power.

HE IS WEAK AND CLUELESS

Nigerians have also been told that Jonathan doesn’t have the intellectual capacity to lead Nigeria to the Promised Land. The APC say he is not only weak but lacking in focus, purpose and direction.  Meaning he is clueless! But President Jonathan’s handlers and supporters know the truth.  They are aware this is politics.

PLOT TO RIG THE GENERAL ELECTION

The opposition has also alleged that the ruling PDP may rig the General Elections.  The reason is the perception that Nigerians are tired of the party and might reject them at the polls. Jonathan’s men have, however, dismissed APC as desperate to win the election at all cost.

SPONSORSHIP OF NIGER DELTA MILITANTS

The APC have alleged that Jonathan is arming Niger Delta militants as standby force should he lose the February 14 election.  According to Buhari’s supporters, ex-militants like Asari Dokubo and Tompolo are being empowered for a strategic purpose.

HOW HE SQUANDERED NIGERIA RESOURCES

We have again been told how Jonathan squandered billions of naira ex-President Obasanjo left in the national treasury. His spirited denial of this unfounded claim propagated by OBJ has not helped matters.

JONATHAN AND PATERNITY MESS

President Jonathan is also being portrayed as a man swimming in paternity mess.  With so many ‘adopted’ children on parade, his political opponents recently unveiled a 24 year-old boy who is claiming he is Jonathan’s love child.  The President has neither denied nor accepted the boy that has a striking resemblance with him. How much damage this will do to Jonathan’s presidential aspiration is left to imagination.

-UCHE OLEHI

Encomium

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