Just in: Tinubu admits Atiku, Obi as his major rivals in 2023 presidential poll

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Sunday said he only reckoned with Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party, respectively in the 2023 presidential poll as major contenders.

Although 18 political parties have fielded candidates for the number one position in the land, Tinubu said the contest would be a three-horse race, he, Atiku and Obi.

The APC flag bearer spoke in Kano through the party’s vice presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima, at an interactive session with leaders of the Tijanniya Sect in Kano.

Daily Trust reports that although Tinubu did not mention the names of the two leading political figures, it was very clear he was referring to them

“Peter Obi calls Lagos home not Ekwulobia or Awka, because Asiwaju has provided the template that made Lagos the most peaceful … Lagos state now has the 5th largest economy in Africa,” he said on the Labour Party candidate.

On Atiku, he said, “he (Tinubu will not divide 50% of his time in Dubai and 50% in Nigeria.”

The APC presidential candidate further made allusion to Atiku’s often visit and stay in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, telling the clerics that unlike the PDP candidate, he would be promising total dedication.

Tinubu described Atiku as a “divider”, making reference to the PDP candidate’s comment at the interactive session with a group of northern political leaders under the Arewa Joint Committee at Arewa House, Kaduna.

Atiku had while answering a question on why northerners should vote for him, replied that, “What the average Northerner needs is somebody who’s from the north and also understands that part of the country and has been able to build bridges across the country.

“This is what the Northerner needs, it doesn’t need a Yoruba or Igbo candidate, I stand before you as a pan-Nigerian of northern origin.”

Atiku’s political mantra in the current election period has been that he is the “unifier.”

But his statement at the Kaduna event had generated several controversies with even the organizers of the event having to disassociate themselves from the comment and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike calling on Atiku to apologize for the “gaffe”.

In his interaction with the sect leaders, Tinubu said, “Between all of us running (sic), we are three now left. Isn’t it? One just failed the most important part of the examination. Are you a unifier or a divider? He said ‘I am from the North’. You are a divider!”

The APC candidate also claimed that the PDP had spent $16bn on electricity in its 16 years rule but failed to address the epileptic power supply.

He said, “I am reminding you that you don’t need a party who has served 16 years and forget that electricity is the only driver of industrialization and wealth of every nation.

“They spent $16bn and we are still paying for estimated meter and billing. No more!

“I promise to give you 100 not 50; even Dubai they are talking about has only 50. So you will have it better from me than in Dubai.”