The Obi-Datti media group has said the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, lacked knowledge of facts and figures used by opponents during campaigns.
According to the Obi-Datti media, Tinubu’s aspersions on the informed use of statistics by Peter Obi of the Labour Party to demystify campaign rhetorics is a clear evidence that the APC candidate is ill-equipped to comprehend arithmetic and statistics.
Tinubu had said at a rally in Gbaramatu Delta state that Peter Obi of the Labour Party is notorious for telling lies with figures.
However, the Obi–Datti media group in a statement on Sunday insisted that the LP candidate was brimming with practicable ideas and demystifying electioneering rhetorics by employing simple facts and figures in his campaigns.
“Providing the numbers shows Peter Obi’s preparedness for the high office of the president if and when hired by Nigerian voters come 2023,” he said.
The Obi-Datti media office said it was aware of the inability of some runners in the presidential race to cope with Peter Obi’s speed and deep knowledge of issues.
“This has resulted in a grand design to distract his focus from the issue-driven campaigns which are resonating very well with Nigerians who are ready and committed to taking back their country from forces that have held it down over the years,” he said.
Responding to APC on the use of figures to convey facts, the LP statement added, “Our candidate has said repeatedly that his assertions were verifiable and dared anybody with contrary facts and figures to come up. Analysts, media houses, and opponents have formed fact-checking units in their organisations ostensibly to contradict Peter Obi’s facts and figures but they are yet to succeed.”
It cited a recent Arise TV town hall meeting in Abuja where a team of fact-checkers was raised to hook Obi; but ended up apologising to him.
“The acceptable mantra is always if you can’t beat them join them, but in Nigerian politics, the reverse is the case: if you can’t beat them pull them down. That is what Obi’s opponents who cannot cope with his deep know-how about the economy are doing.
“We find it extremely laughable and shameful that a candidate who is aspiring to lead his country but has not been able to present any identifiable record of his origin, age, and educational background is challenging the man who is indisputably equipped with the way to go about salvaging our dear country.
“The fact that the APC man has questionable bio-data has left the electorate guessing his real age and health status.”
The LP media group enumerated samples of the APC flagbearer’s gaffes during campaigns.
“These days, every APC rally produces its tongue-twisters like ‘Blu bla blu,’ ‘no down payment for roasted corn for electricity’, ‘the Deputy Senate President will be the governor of Niger Delta’, ‘I will recharge Lake Chad if elected President’, ‘if you love me, go and collect your APV and vote for APC’, “God bless PDAPC”, or distorting the name of his campaign director-general Solomon instead of Simon.
