A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Dayo Adeyeye, has said the exit of two key figures from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) weakened the party ahead of the 2023 elections.
The former minister, while featuring on a political programme on African Independent Television (AIT) and monitored in Ado-Ekiti, argued that the emergence of Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankawaso as presidential candidates of Labour Party and New Nigeria People’s Party respectively was a bad omen for the party.
Senator Adeyeye, the National Chairman of South- West Agenda for Asiwaju 2023 Presidency (SWAGA), opined that the PDP had embarked on another path of self-destruction with the litany of crises and discordant tunes.
The SWAGA boss alleged that the sharp divisions in the PDP had weighed the party down, hence affecting the chances of its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the 2023 presidential poll.
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Senator Adeyeye, a strong promoter of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) Presidency, recalled: “You could all remember that the PDP lost in the 2015 presidential poll to President Muhammadu Buhari because five governors defected to the newly formed APC. And if you look at the strength by adding five governors to the then APC, the two parties were nearly of equal strength and that affected the ruling party.”
He opined that the PDP had not learnt any lesson from the errors it committed in the 2015 poll by allowing the same to repeat itself now.
“So in the coming election, the same scenario is playing out. About four months ago, Atiku, Obi and Kwankwaso belonged to the same party. “So, Obi and Kwankwaso, who are now in LP and NNPP will divide the votes that are supposed to be for Atiku in the coming election.”
He expressed optimism that Tinubu has a strong political network across Nigeria to defeat Atiku, his closest rival and other opponents without going into a run-off as predicted.
He said: “Tinubu has the network and strong political structures to amass 25% of votes in two/third of the 36 states. There won’t be any need for any run-off, because the APC has a strong candidate that can deliver”.
He said the breaking away of strong politicians, who had emerged as presidential candidates in other parties would automatically affect Atiku’s chances in the forthcoming poll.
“But if you look at the APC, the party is intact and strong behind Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Though, some few people had defected and I think that affected all the major parties. If you look at the two main parties, you will realise that APC is the one that is more cohesive, stable and intact”.