"If Amaechi has not lost touch with reality, how would he be comparing Atiku Abubakar, who is widely celebrated by Nigerians across board, due to his integrity and proven competence in managing resources, to a failed President Buhari, who Nigerians know is responsible for the grinding hardship, hunger, starvation and escalating insecurity in the nation in the last three and half years?" the statement read.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to demonstrate his “touted integrity” by demanding the immediate resignation of Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation.
A statement by Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP National Publicity Secretary, on Friday accused Amaechi of using government funds to campaign for the Buhari for the 2019 general election.
According to PDP, Amaechi’s action demonstrates the height of corruption.
The statement read: "The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenges President Muhammadu Buhari to demand the immediate resignation of Rotimi Amaechi as the Minister of Transportation to demonstrate his (Buhari) touted integrity.
"The party says Amaechi, as Minister of Transportation and Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, is using government fund to campaign for Buhari. PDP notes that this action of Amaechi demonstrates the height of corruption both in Buhari administration and the person of his campaign DG.
"The party further wondered how Amaechi will compare failed President Muhammadu Buhari to the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who has been generally accepted as the next President of Nigeria, stressing that Amaechi has finally lost touch with Nigerians."
The party went on to do a comparison between its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and Buhari, referring to the tenure under the present administration as one that "has stood down all known democratic virtues, and relishes in violation of human rights, disobedience to court orders, disdain for constitutional order and condoning extra-judicial killing".
The statement continued: "If Amaechi has not lost touch with reality, how would he be comparing Atiku Abubakar, who is widely celebrated by Nigerians across board, due to his integrity and proven competence in managing resources, to a failed President Buhari, who Nigerians know is responsible for the grinding hardship, hunger, starvation and escalating insecurity in the nation in the last three and half years?
"How can Amaechi compare Atiku Abubakar, a known and tested nationalist, who has become the rallying point for national rejuvenation and reawakening to President Buhari, who has sunk the nation deeper into the sea of nepotism, divisiveness, dissentions and agonizing despondency?
"How can any one compare Atiku Abubakar, an epitome of wealth creation and youth empowerment to President Buhari whose tenure will only be remembered by Nigerians for hardship, unemployment, job losses, wealth destruction, economic frustrations and destruction of institutions that engender good governance and freedom?
"Is it not an aberration to attempt to compare Atiku Abubakar, who played key role in a government that paid our nation’s foreign debt, to President Buhari, whose administration specializes in accumulating debts, borrowing money to service debts and plunging our generations yet unborn into bondage?
"How can Amaechi compare Atiku Abubakar, a promoter of democracy and fundamental human rights to President Buhari whose administration has stood down all known democratic virtues, and relishes in violation of human rights, disobedience to court orders, disdain for constitutional order and condoning extra-judicial killing, harassment and illegal detention of citizens as detailed in reports by international bodies?
"While it is a settled fact that President Buhari cannot be a match to Atiku Abubakar, we understand Amaechi’s frustration as a beleaguered salesman of a derelict product, but he should have known that for Nigerians, Atiku Abubakar represents light and a brighter future whereas President Buhari and his All Progressives Congress (APC) represent a national misfortune.
"Amaechi is aware of the murmurings and frustration even in the Presidency regarding President Buhari’s failures in governance and that most of his ministers, aides and political associates no longer believe in his re-election since Atiku Abubakar emerged as PDP Presidential candidate."
The party concluded the statement by calling on Amaechi to "prepare to return to Rivers state to face his multiple corruption indictments instead of trying to promote a failed candidate".