The National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) and Co-Chair of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Bola Tinubu, has stated that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has no direction, therefore, distinct from the presidential candidate of the APC, President Muhammadu Buhari, who, he said, is “a straight and honest man.”
But the PDP responded swiftly, saying Buhari’s claim to integrity is a fair-tale that belonged to the past.
This is coming as the inaugural campaign of APC in Lagos State yesterday turned violent with many sustaining injuries as two factions of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) clashed.
Tinubu also assured the president that the party’s campaign council has accepted the assignment given to it by him and would not let him down.
In a statement yesterday in Abuja, entitled, “We Accept President Buhari’s Assignment,” Tinubu said the characters of Buhari and Atiku are distinct.
According to him, “Buhari is a straight and honest man. Leave a naira on the table with Buhari in the room. You will find the naira on the table when you return.”
Tinubu argued that when Buhari says ‘yes’ or ‘no’ everyone knows where he stands.
“He means what he says, no more, no less. With Atiku things are more nuanced. When Atiku speaks, he may mean ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ ‘may be,’ I don’t know,’ ‘come back tomorrow,’ ‘all the above,’ or ‘none of the above.’ His compass has four needles pointing in different directions at the same time. He knows of no direction to take. President Buhari’s word is his bond. When Atiku speaks, it is to give you the slip,” he explained.
The APC national leader said the country could not afford a president whose ways and mind is a maze of contradicting urges and colliding desires, stressing that this shows he has no vision for the country and no guiding principles except the naked pursuit of power for the naked use of that power.
Tinubu added that Atiku had his chance to shine as vice president when he controlled the privatisation programme of the Obasanjo government.
He accused the former vice president of abusing this assignment and helping to squander billions of dollars on power generation that did nothing.
He said, “That government had so much money at its disposal and that is exactly what it did. It disposed of the money yet failed to treat the poor or build for the future. Atiku laid waste to the national treasury for eight long years. That is enough for one lifetime. We should not reward him by giving him another eight years because the more he feeds, the stronger his hunger grows.
“His is a thirst that can’t be quenched and a hand that cannot be restrained from taking whatever is on the table. As the PDP candidate, he is now the leader of an avaricious horde that seeks to re-attach its mandible once again to the public wealth and forever lay siege to our nation’s future. Nigerians would do well not to pay them any attention.”
Tinubu said the PDP should not be allowed to return to power and “return to the days where they rule the nation like overlords,” adding that APC’s campaign council would not let Buhari down “because doing so would also let down the nation.”
He rallied members of the campaign council with Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, as Director-General, for the task ahead.
PDP: Your Fairy-tale About Your Candidate Obsolete
But the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation cautioned Tinubu, over his derogatory remarks against its party’s presidential candidate.
The main opposition party said the APC national leader ought to be found in the class of respected senior citizens who are decorous; speak statesmanlike and not resorting to the “gutters” whenever he speaks in public.
The Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement yesterday said that it was also imperative to know that the fairy-tales of integrity, which he weaved around Buhari in 2015, has waned and become obsolete.
According to him, “The PPCO wants, Tinubu, as the Asiwaju of Lagos State, to know that he has the responsibility of tutoring the younger generation on the culture of the Yoruba, which holds that when a child is given the errand of a slave, he delivers it like a freeborn.”
Ologbondiyan said that at this critical time, when majority of Nigerians expect true democrats, which Tinubu had always claimed allegiance, to come together and rescue the nation from the absurdity of governance that the APC and the Buhari Presidency represent, it is unfortunate that the APC leader chose to be tied to the aprons of anti-democratic interests.
He said, “Tinubu ought to be found in the class of respected senior citizens who are decorous, speak statesmanlike and not resorting to the gutters whenever he speaks in public.
“In politics, family ties and bonds as well as relationships are greater and stronger than political interests and it is the expectation of our campaign organisation that Tinubu should understand this.
“It is, therefore, strange, if not ridiculous, that the Asiwaju of Lagos State can be dancing around an anti-people government at this time.
“Our advice to Tinubu is that he should be watchful ahead of his 2023 wishful presidency interests because those he is dining with today, have demonstrated in time past, that they can always use and dump him.
“Tinubu should know that among the ranks of presidential candidates, Atiku Abubakar stands out as that candidate Nigerians trust and believe in as their next President, come May 29, 2019.”
