The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 presidential poll Atiku Abubakar condemned the decision of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to go ahead with its National Convention a day after the killing of over 50 worshippers at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
In a statement by his media adviser Paul Ibe, the former Vice President lamented that the APC decided to go on which its presidential primary while the country is in mourning.
He said: “With the blood of innocent worshippers flowing on the street of the Sunshine state, leaders of the APC are gathered in Abuja, treating themselves to a sumptuous dinner in a manner that suggests a lack of empathy to the mood of the nation.” The former Customs officer described the convention as “a charade”, adding that it “is merely to handpick an anointed candidate”.
Atiku added: “For the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) residents who have been inundated with everyday stress as a result of bad governance by the ruling party, the choice of crucial working days – Monday and Tuesday – as days for the primaries of the APC is a callous and insensitive decision.
“Even as delegates to the socalled election entered into the Federal Capital Territory, they must have been greeted with long queues of vehicles waiting to buy fuel and darkness that continues to grim the capital city on account of seizures in electricity supply.” He said the APC Convention is not just to elect the presidential candidate but a referendum “on the APC’s scorecard in the past seven years”.
The ex-VP said if the delegates would be “honest with themselves about the current state of affairs in the country under the watch of their party, they ought to know that allowing the APC to remain in power one more day after May 29, next year is an unpatriotic decision to make”.
