- By Godwin Isenyo
The All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Monday threw a jab at his main contender and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, for playing the ethnic card ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
Tinubu, at an interactive session with the Arewa Joint Committee which was held at the Arewa House, Kaduna, on Monday, said he sees himself as a pan-Nigerian, having transversed all parts of the country.
He, however, noted, “You (apparently referring to Atiku) started from Uyo and now ended up in Kaduna and you are speaking to the North that you are the right candidate for the North; how do we reconcile that? You have lost the election.”
Tinubu went further to say that the PDP presidential candidate ought to have endorsed him, having supported him in 2007 for the presidency instead of competing with him for the same position.
“It’s payback time. Let Atiku endorse me instead of campaigning in Kaduna. I supported him in 2007,” he added.
The former Lagos helmsman told the gathering that comprised the Arewa Consultative Forum, Northern Elders Forum, Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, Jamiyyar Matan Arewa, the Center for Historical Development Research (Arewa House) as well as the Arewa Research and Documentation Project, that he was also one of them.
“I am one of you. Yes. I am a city boy from Lagos,” he added.
Tinubu then recited the old National Anthem…’Though tribe and tongue may differ…’ to buttress his point of not portraying himself as an ethnic champion as his other opponent.
He said under his government, the rag-tag bandits terrorising the region would cease to exist, noting, “a rag-tag bandit will not defeat us. We will defeat them.”
Speaking further, Tinubu said if elected as President, he would mobilise all assets within “our national power” to secure Nigeria.
Culled from the PUNCH newspaper