Nigeria’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it occupies the moral high ground in championing an issue-focused campaign in the run-up to the 14 February election.

“In the PDP, we occupy the moral high ground as far as our commitment to issues-based campaign is concerned. Our word remains our bond. Since we made that commitment, we have focused on issues.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Olisa Metuh, stated this in a response to the APC rebuke that PDP face issues, not abusing its leaders.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh

The PDP spokesman assured the APC that the PDP remained committed to campaigning on issues.

He added that “we will campaign on our record of verifiable achievements; we will campaign on the fact that Nigeria can never go back to the past.

“We will campaign on issues and ideas built around our continuing agenda to transform our nation going into the future.’’

Metuh said that PDP’s reference to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, the APC presidential candidate as “semi-literate jackboot” did not amount to the party’s renege on commitment to issue-based campaign.

The PDP national publicity secretary, however, acknowledged that the PDP National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, referred to Gen.Buhari as “semi-literate jackboot.

“There has never been any instance that we have maliciously attacked the characters of those on the presidential ticket of the APC.

“Rather, we have been alive to our responsibility of offering public service, so that Nigerians will not be deceived.’’

He added that the statement by Oladipo, referred to by the APC, did not compare to instances of vicious, malicious and provocative attacks on the person and office of President Goodluck Jonathan by the APC.

He said that in the face of vicious attacks on the President, PDP had remained committed to engaging in decent campaign ahead of the 2015 general elections.

“It is on record that a few days after the commitment alluded to by the APC, Gov. Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State and of the APC attacked the person of President Jonathan, describing him as an incompetent commander-in-chief.

“No personal attack could be more vicious and unconscionable.

“Similarly, the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, had consistently prosecuted a hate campaign against President Jonathan,
describing him as an enemy of Rivers people.

“To worsen the entire matter, the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, is complicit in the propagation of personal attack over and above issues.

“It was insulting for Buhari to say, as he did in Sokoto on Dec. 21, that no right-thinking Nigerian will vote for Jonathan.’’

Metuh said President Jonathan had never, whether before or after he became the PDP presidential candidate for 2015 election, attacked the character or person of Gen. Buhari.

He assured that PDP was however, fully prepared, ready, willing and able to defend all personal attacks on President Jonathan and the party`s leadership.