Bola Ahmmed Tinubu (BAT), the Presidential flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is the
subject of this political discourse because he is in the news again. At a political rally held on Tuesday
November 15 th 2022 in Jos, the capital of Plateau State, the Presidential aspirant said “God bless PDAPC” in a video that went viral on social media. Hence, ordinary commentators as well as political analysts have expressed diverse opinions mostly unfavorable to the politician. Now, this piece sets to unravelwhat exactly “PDAPC” is and ascertain whether Nigerians should fret.

One thing was clear about the video, BAT wanted to pray for his political party; the APC, but ended up
pronouncing a blessing on an unknown party. Whether such blessing amounts to any spiritual
significance is a discourse for another day, but for now, BAT coined a PDAPC that has since laid a
foundation for a few further inexplicable transgressions down the campaign season. Considering that
overtime, BAT has successfully created a niche for himself as a political strategist with proven acumen
and astuteness, it then becomes a little difficult to readily accept the term “PDAPC” as a blunder without
one being reckless, except in the face of a few more consistent goofs.

A few pragmatists simply described the term as a slip of the tongue thereby accepting that it was a
straight goof. Anybody can be a victim of slip of the tongue and listeners who are not mischievous easily
find a place in their hearts to forgive such blunder especially if the speaker is self-correct. So, this class
are permissive and non judgmental. After all, a slip of the tongue is something that you say by accident
when you intended to say something else.

However, another group of commentators described the acronym as a hint on political strategy. This
class of people believes that BAT is a gruesome political strategist with little or no Achilles heels. The
hallmark of their argument is that BAT just gave a hint on the five anti-Atiku Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) Governors popularly called the G-5 Governors comprising Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Samuel
Ortom of Benue State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Seyi Makinde
of Oyo State who have constituted themselves into a PDP principality, threatening to frustrate the fifth
Presidential bid of Atiku Abubakar the flag bearer of the PDP save and except Iyorchia Ayu, the National
Chairman of the Party resigns. In like manner, Festus Keyamo, the APC Spokesperson flippantly
described PDAPC as “People Decamping to APC”.

Another set of theorists said that PDAPC is a clear indicator of the restlessness that the PDP is giving
BAT. They believe that all that BAT thinks about is the fierceness of the PDP’s Presidential flag bearer
who has become BAT’s nemesis. So to them, PDAPC is a stressful gaffe or a construct that slithers
through the subconscious faculty of BAT thereby occasioning sleeplessness.

Some said it is another political showmanship after the order of the “Emi lo kan” which transliterates as
“It’s my turn”, a sentence he used to assert his kingmaker and undeniable leadership qualification while
addressing the APC delegates in Ogun State.

Some said it is a comical jab. Some said it is a decisive allegory. Some even said it is an intentional
practice of the biblical injunction to pray for one’s enemy.

Remember that one million dollar rider in the last line of paragraph two, that is “except in the face of a
few more consistent goofs”. If someone while speaking consistently commits blunder and muddles up
ideas, it will no longer be appropriate or realistic to describe such gaffe as a slip of the tongue. It is
simply incoherence and illogicality. Now, that is where the problem is and the question must be asked
“How frequently should a slip of the tongue occur before it is no longer one?”

It is then not out of place for Nigerians to raise concerns considering the spate of illogicality that has trailed the APC campaign train in recent time from the pre-official campaign at a summit in Kaduna where while trying to compliment Nasir El Rufai, the Governor of Kaduna state BAT was reported to have said “I’m begging Nasir El Rufai not to run away for another degree. Your vision, creativity, and resiliency in turning a rotten situation into a bad one is necessary at this critical time”, to the first official campaign goof at Jos where rather than pray for his party, BAT prayed for PDAPC .

In another viral video, BAT on campaign ground at Yenogoa, Bayelsa State said “….that happiness is here, that high prices is here; is gone”. In another video in Lagos State-his strongest and biggest political master craft-BAT asked his supporters “Do you love me? Do you love me? Go and get your APV” instead of PVC. Majority of Nigerians do not really care about grammatical blunders, but the incoherence of the man who is most likely going to be their next President.

BAT must have been exposed to the Nigerian political landscape in a dimension like never before in the course of this Presidential campaign, from all the intricacies of primary election to the politics of VP selection up till now. He is stressed and his managers must do a better job henceforth.

The acrimony of some Nigerians towards BAT is not unfounded. They are coming of the back of an
administration that is perceived to have annihilated their joy. They have every moral right to harbor
disdain for a political party that has clearly demonstrated cluelessness in terms of rescuing Nigerians
from poverty, insecurity, inflation, unemployment, incessant industrial actions, etc. It is therefore not
inappropriate to have indignation towards the candidates of that same political party, if such candidates
will not demonstrate clarity of thought, coherence and logic, the least expected of a Philosopher King.

Nigerians should however take solace in the credibility of BAT’s capacity to assemble the best brains in
and out of the country. As a former Governor and Kingmaker, BAT never pitched his tent with a
nincompoop. His cronies and protégés like: Raji Fashola SAN, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Aregbesola, Femi
Gbajabiamila, Shettima , Zulum among others underscore the very fact. However BAT must make the
job of making him the next President of the federal Republic of Nigeria easier for the electorates by
accepting to stay within the confines of carefully prepared speeches up until he settles down in power, if
Nigerians make him their choice. This is not the time to be careless with words.

WHAT IS THIS “PDAPC” ALL ABOUT?

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