Shettima: PDP’s presidential dream a televised circus — they refused to read Nigerians’ mood

Kashim Shettima, vice-presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not read the country’s mood before deciding on its presidential candidate.

By electing Iyorchia Ayu — who is from the north — as its national chairman, the PDP was expected to pick a presidential candidate from the south.

However, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar — also from the north — clinched the party’s ticket.

Speaking on Friday at the unveiling ceremony of the APC presidential manifesto, Shettima said the PDP’s “presidential dream” is a “televised national circus”.

“His excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, proved to us once again that his integrity will never be on the shelf for any self-serving bidder, and his moral principle set in motion a chain of events that led to the consolidation of national interests, that paved the way for Asiwaju’s emergence as the presidential flagbearer,” he said.

“Unfortunately, the leading opposition party set out to exploit the nation’s rotational arrangement and refused to read the national mood. And this has long backfired, and turned their presidential dream into a televised national circus.

“A presidential candidate that cannot put his own political house in order cannot aspire to lead the nation.”

He added that the APC has performed well and has the capacity to continue on the path of sustainable development.

“In just a few years, the APC has become a political paragon, bringing much older political organisations to their knees. This couldn’t have been possible without you, this beautiful village of progressive ideologues,” he said.

He added that with Tinubu, “Nigerians have found in the APC a Moses that will lead them to the promised land”.