Clothed in issues concerning governance and the polity, the altercations between the governing All Progressives Congress ( APC) and rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may be degenerating to personality clash and war of words.

Almost predictably and in reaction to the APC’s allegation that the cannot provide virile opposition with convoluted, hollow statements, the PDP urges the APC to stop dodging issues.

The PDP in a statement yesterday by its national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said while it understands the lack of experience and direction that have made the APC jittery, descending to insults and abuse cannot be a solution because it would never be cowed or distracted from providing robust and credible alternative views which it owes Nigerians.

According to Metuh, “Whilst we understand the desperation of Alhaji Lai Mohammed to remain relevant even without any influence of electoral success in his political career, at any level whatsoever, he and the APC must understand that being in government comes with demands of accountability, civility and decency.

“We appreciate the elementary knowledge of the APC spokesman in his new role especially against the backdrop of his struggling to impress two masters at a time, Bourdellion and the President, who distributes the largesse at the moment, but Nigerians expect that in his search for job, he should be decorous, mature and on the side of truth and accountability.”

Earlier, the APC declared that the PDP as a party cannot provide any worthwhile opposition to the APC-led Federal Government if its spokesman continues to issue convoluted and fustian statements just so that he can be in the news.

Referring to the Sunday’s statement by the PDP, the APC spokesperson said: ”Today’s statement is the most tortuous yet by the PDP and, honestly, sounds more like a compendium of beer parlour gossips and side talks than a serious criticism of a sitting government.”

According to Mohammed, “to be in opposition does not mean you have to constitute yourself to a nuisance by rushing to the press with all sorts of hot air statements. It is the quality, rather than the frequency, of your interventions that makes you relevant as an opposition in a democracy.”

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‘We can only say that we have been justified, and indeed prescient, in our earlier offer to organize a crash course for Olisa Metuh so that he can more effectively perform his role as the spokesman of the main opposition party.

”Those who thought we were joking with that offer can now see that indeed, Mr. Metuh is seriously in need of some form of coaching on his new role,” APC said.

But Metuh alleged that the resort to insults by the APC spokesPerson is, “ostensibly to divert attention from issues, further confirms

the insincerity and emptiness of the APC even as a party in power.

“However, going through the hurried response by the APC, it is clearly noted that the party did not address any of the issues raised by the PDP.

“The APC failed to address the issue of the recent organized public harassment and humiliation against the immediate-past First Lady and wife of the former President, Dame Patience Jonathan at the Port Harcourt airport obviously organized and orchestrated by the Director of Protocol in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Husseini, who cited ‘order from above’ in his direct threats and insults to the former First Lady on phone.

“Furthermore, the nation is still waiting for the APC and the Presidency to address the issue of the divisive and tendentious statement by President Buhari who declared to the world that he would run a discriminatory government based on voting pattern in the last general elections, in clear violation of his oath of office and the provisions of the constitution.”

Meanwhile, the APC reiterated that for the record, no government in Nigeria’s recent history has been as focused and systematic as the one headed by President Buhari in “restoring good governance, especially coming after the worst stretch of governance, lasting all of 16 years, by the immoral and reckless PDP.

“It is worth noting that even the leader of the world’s foremost democracy, President Barack Obama, said that much during the recent visit to the US of President Buhari, when he described him (President Buhari) as a man of integrity with a clear agenda.

”President Buhari is working hard every day in the priority areas of tackling security and corruption, rebooting the economy to provide jobs for our teeming youths and generally to restore good governance. We are sorry for those who are too blind with hatred to see this.

”We know that the PDP is terrified by the expose of how the Federal Government it led has looted the treasury and created an environment for impunity to thrive, as well as the fate that will befall those who were part of the show of shame and disgust.

”But we assure Nigerians that this government will not interfere with the work of the security and anti-corruption agencies, and also that under the Buhari Administration, only the guilty needs to be afraid.

”In the meantime, no amount of mumbo jumbo from the PDP will stop the Buhari Administration from its tough but inevitable task of restoring Nigeria’s lost glory,” APC said.