Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, has fired a shot at his Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, counterpart, Atiku Abubakar, for his comment on the ethnicity of aspirants ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
Tinubu, during an interaction with the Arewa Joint Committee, held at the Arewa House, Kaduna, on Monday, described himself as a pan-Nigerian, having toured the length and breadth of Nigeria.
Speaking during the event, Tinubu said, “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.”
The APC flagbearer further said that Atiku should have backed him, having thrown his weight behind the PDP candidate’s presidential bid in 2007 instead of vying against him.
He stated, “It’s payback time. Let Atiku endorse me instead of campaigning in Kaduna. I supported him in 2007.”
The former Lagos State governor told the forum that he was one of them, despite being from a different tribe.
See Also: Why North Should Reject Yoruba, Igbo Candidates – Atiku
He added, “I am one of you. Yes. I am a city boy from Lagos.”
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.
Commenting on insecurity, Tinubu said, “As you are aware, security is a function of resources. I am committed to mobilising all assets within our national power to secure Nigeria.
“We did this in Lagos through many initiatives, especially the Security Trust Fund, through which we addressed many needs of our security forces which helped to sanitise Lagos State.
“As you may recall, when I assumed office as governor in 1999, the situation I met was basically a case of banditry where urban gangs ruled the streets.
“I returned law and order, tamed what could have been a huge ethnic war and made Lagos one of the safest states in Nigeria. I will replicate that across the country,” he said.
Source: Punch
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