The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) says it has no apologies to offer to the All Progressives Congress (APC), especially, its spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, for exposing his penchant for barefaced lies, insults and distortion of facts to deceive unsuspecting Nigerians.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in a statement yesterday described, as “a mockery of self-opinion, Alhaji Mohammed’s early morning tirade on Tuesday, wherein he attempted to pontificate on decorum, a field where he has no credentials, being the originator of hate campaign, with which he fouled Nigeria’s political arena and influenced hundreds of young people, who now engage in abusing one another on the social media, thinking that such is what publicity is all about.
“It is, to say the least, a dance of hypocrisy, for the APC spokesman to wake the nation up, at exactly 7:29 Tuesday morning, to bemoan his being fittingly described as “a renowned liar”, when he, in his widely covered press conference the previous day, called the Acting National Chairman of our great party, Prince Uche Secondus and the entire leadership of our party liars, for exposing the involvement of the APC-led government in the invasion of Akwa-Ibom State government house by the Department of State Services (DSS) in addition to moves to compromise that state’s governorship election tribunal.
“It is also common knowledge that during the 2015 campaigns, Lai Mohammed distinguished himself in hauling insults at everyone, including continually denigrating and labeling the person and office of the President of this country, an excursion he saw nothing wrong with, at that time.
“While we appreciate the sleeplessness and nervousness of the APC spokesperson in his desperation to be noticed for an appointment, we have no apologies for exposing his lies and hypocrisy.
“Alhaji Mohammed, in his early morning outburst sought to divert attention and failed to address the issues raised by the PDP regarding his proclivity for distortion of fact. We therefore want to remind him that Nigerians are still waiting for his explanations for becoming the mouthpiece of the DSS, which has a spokesman and internal machinery for public communication.
“He has failed to address the contradiction in his statement where he claimed that the APC was not privy to the reasons for the DSS’ search of the Akwa Ibom Government House while at the same time explaining that the agency acted within its area of competence and authority’.
Furthermore, apart from “a liar”, what words would Lai Mohammed use in describing himself when he, in May this year, nearly scuttled the transition programme with his false statement alleging that the APC team was being frustrated, only for the head of the APC’s Transition Committee, Alhaji Ahmed Joda to announce that there was nothing of such?
“How else would Lai Mohammed describe himself when he, in June 2014 issued a statement alleging that a plane carrying former Kano state governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso to attend an APC rally in Ekiti was denied landing permission in Akure, only for Kwankwaso’s Director of Press Affairs, Baba Dantiye to announce that his boss was at another event in Kano on that date and had no plans to travel to Ekiti State?
“We are not yet talking about the denial of the list of campaign promises upon which the APC rode to power at the center and the endless propaganda, insults and blackmail hauled on well-meaning Nigerians when they attempt to offer counsels on observed infractions and anti-democratic tendencies of the APC administration.
“Our counsel once more to Alhaji Lai Mohammed is that he should advice himself and learn to be truthful and honest. At his age, he should shed this narcissist proclivity of always trying to make himself the issue and desist from fabricating lies and dishing such to the nation.
“In any case, we wish to restate that no matter the antics of the APC and its spokesperson, the PDP will remain focused on issues. We would continue to offer constructive and credible opposition, while firmly holding the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government accountable in the running of the affairs of the nation.
“Our handicap here however, is that we have in our hands, a ruling party and a government who are unable to articulate any policy direction in the economy or any other critical sector of the polity since its assumption of power in May. Instead, what we are witnessing, sadly, are administrative confusion, abuse of process, constitutional violations, political witch-hunt and sleazes in government quarters,” he said.