The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign has said it welcomes the challenge by the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation urging candidates to run an issue-based campaign rather than personal attacks.
At the inauguration of his presidential campaign, President Jonathan had advised his campaign handlers to focus on issue-based campaign devoid of personal attacks on political opponents.
Reacting to the President Jonathan challenge, presidential candidate of APC, Muhammadu Buhari said it was more than pleased to focus the 2015 election campaign on issues.
According to a statement by the APC Presidential Campaign from Calabar, Cross River State, where the candidate held an impressive rally, the issues facing the Nigerian voters are essentially security, unemployment, the economy and corruption.
The statement signed by Director, Media and Publicity of the campaign organisation, Garba Shehu explained that the security challenges have put the Jonathan administration out of its depth, and that the government has run out of ideas.
The APC Campaign said the purported improvements of the economy are merely on paper and only reminiscent of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm.”
It said no government could boast of improving the economy when the quality of life for the majority of the citizens is getting rapidly worse.
The statement noted that “you can’t run an economy on unworkable economic thieves that haven’t impacted positively on the lives of Nigerians in practice.
According to the statement, one of the greatest issues facing the Nigerian voters is jobs and job security.
It explained that with the prospects of gainful employment ever grimmer, the Jonathan government lacks the moral right to talk about issue-based campaign in areas of people’s lives in which he has failed woefully to deliver.
On corruption, the APC Campaign maintained that no development or progress can ever take place in any country where corruption or stealing as they choose to dub it, not only thrives, but is also celebrated and condoned.
It wonders how a government that strikes deals with corrupt persons in return for political support should preach about issues-based campaign, adding that on all the issues facing Nigerians, the PDP has failed the citizens.
The APC Campaign said it was not surprised that members of the Jonathan campaign have resorted to personal attacks on Buhari and focusing on trivial issues because the government has thoroughly run out of ideas to lead Nigeria to the promised destination.
It said unfulfilled promises lead to disillusionment and loss of faith of the voters in a failed ruling party.
According to the APC Campaign, the Jonathan Campaign should not talk about issues in which it has failed woefully.
Worse still, it noted that the handlers of the Jonathan Campaign started off on the wrong footing by resorting to abuse of the person of Buhari and demonization of the opposition party even after the charge to it by President Jonathan.
