The Conference of Professionals in the People’s Democratic Party (CP-PDP) has said the resort of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to personal attacks on Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, is driven by fear and a desperate bid to distract the governor.

CP-PDP, in a statement issued by the National Coordinator Obinna Nwachukwu, said these attacks further exposed the pre-election fever within the APC over Governor Makinde’s rising profile and his acceptance as “The face of the purposeful, prudent, and result-driven leadership that has eluded the nation, particularly in the last two years.”

The conference added that the attacks are confirmation that the President Bola Tinubu-led APC intimidated, harassed, and offered billions of naira to state governors to defect to the ruling party.

“The APC is now in mortal fear of Governor Makinde due to his principled resistance to these underhanded tactics,” the group stated.

According to the conference, the recent statements by the APC revealed that the party was behind the false reports suggesting that Bauchi State governor Bala Mohammed was decamping to the ruling party.

CP-PDP said it is aware that these distractions are designed to divert public attention from the abysmal failures of the Tinubu-led administration and the fear of defeat in a free and fair electoral contest in 2027.

“If the APC truly cared for Nigerians, it would be concerned with the bombing that claimed many lives in Maiduguri, Borno State and the senseless killings in Kwara, Kaduna, Taraba, Benue, Niger, and other states of the federation.

“It should be concerned about the insufferable hardship which has worsened with the increase in the official pump price of fuel, from N97 per litre inherited in 2015 to N1,300 today.

“Instead, the APC shows no interest in the well-being of Nigerians, treating the populace with utter disdain while remaining fixated on manipulating the 2027 electoral process,” the conference regretted.

It added that the fear of rejection by Nigerians is the reason for APC’s destabilisation of the PDP and other opposition parties to prevent them from fielding credible presidential candidates, but said: “this scheme is dead on arrival.”

CP-PDP, however, stated that despite these attacks, the PDP remains a strong rallying point for the majority of Nigerians who are determined to defend multi-party democracy and defeat the APC in 2027.

“We, therefore, counsel the APC to end its unnecessary fixation on Governor Makinde, accept the reality of its failure, and prepare for its ultimate rejection by the electorate.

“The APC should use its remaining lifespan to reverse the anti-people policies that are pushing Nigerians to the brink,” the group advised.