Politics

Why I’m better than Atiku, Obi on economy – Tinubu

Published

2 years ago

November 2, 2022

Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, on Tuesday, took a swipe at the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party, Peter Obi, whom they said lacked the antecedent and experience to lead the country.

The duo spoke while presenting his action plan before the business community and the organised private sector in Lagos on Tuesday.

The business community was fully represented by the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; Chairman of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia; the Chairman of UBA, Tony Elumelu; former Chief Executive of Access Bank, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede; Group Chief Executive of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe, and other business leaders representing sectoral groups such as agriculture, oil and gas, trade, manufacturing, creative sector, among others.

The town hall session was attended by the APC vice presidential candidate, Senator Kashim Shettima; Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos); Simon Lalong (Plateau); Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi); Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq (Kwara), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa); Dapo Abiodun (Ogun); Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun); Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna); and Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano) as well as other APC leaders and chieftains.

Speaking at the meeting, the former governor of Lagos said if elected president in 2023, his administration will hit a double-figure gross domestic product.

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According to a statement by the Tinubu Media Office, signed by Tunde Rahman, the presidential candidate said attaining the feat was possible having achieved similar economic success when he governed Lagos State.

He called for the support of the Lagos business community, stating that such was needed for a viable economy.

He said, “Nigeria stands at the threshold between indifference and greatness, prosperity and poverty, the future and the past. The door is ajar. Together, let us open it so that we may cross over to the better side and secure for this beloved nation its finer destiny.

“The productive and beneficial things we seek do not lie in the sole domain of one sector. They reside in the cooperation between the government and the private sector. I see no conflict between the business community and the government. Yet, with equal conviction, I believe the private sector and government should constantly be at war.

“But they wage this battle, not as enemies. They must stand as inseparable allies combating the mutual enemies of scarcity, underdevelopment, joblessness and the fear these bad things breed.

“The pragmatic problem solving and teamwork that improved Lagos, I want to bring to this nation. I ask your help as the task ahead is doable but also difficult.”

Also, Tinubu and Shettima took a swipe at the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party, Peter Obi, whom they said lacked the antecedent and experience to lead the country.

He said, “Democracy doesn’t mean that everything is going to be perfect but on the higher percentage, perfection is achieved at the right at which we work for the highest population of the country or the environment, local governments would continue to see what constitutionally can be done to strengthen the local governments.

“Then we will look at the qualifications and achievements of an individual during the processes, but don’t forget, we are in a multi-party democracy so we will have those mistakes once the wrong party gets in and you have one of the candidates who wants to be a president who is fond of saying ‘when you do the right thing.’ How to solve his problem is by when we do the right. What is the right thing? They fool you with foolish statistics and lies. Don’t get me into the mood of campaign.

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In his remarks, Shettima said, “This man seated here is one of the most demonised Nigerians but take it from me, the true hallmark of leadership is not the ability to carry a bag of cement. We are not preparing for the Olympics, but an institution that relies on a field of ideas and tracks records and shows me, I dare to challenge you, show me among the people vying for the presidency of this country who has the experience, track record and of course, who has the intellect to catapult this nation to a higher pedestal.

“Leadership goes beyond glamourising poverty. We won’t glamourise poverty, we tackle poverty. I won’t tell you I have two pairs of shoes or I have a single wristwatch. Leadership goes beyond spewing dubious statistics or showcasing a mediocre performance as the governor of Anambra State. I respect Atiku Abubakar, but leadership goes beyond high-scale antics. A man who can’t unite his party, I wonder how he can unite a country.

“We are talking about artificial intelligence or big data or nanotechnology, but the training that an elder statesman got from Kano School of Hygiene was that of wole wole. The ability to sell bottled water doesn’t make one an expert on the economy. My parting shot is that Atiku Abubakar is not Abraham Lincoln; he is Ralia Odinga and come May next year, we are going to permanently retire the political tourists to Dubai.”

Tinubu also noted that there is a need for the government to cooperate with the organised private sector to revive the industry sector and tackle other forms of underdevelopment.

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He added, “There is a need to revive our industries, create minor and major industrial zones to make it grow from top to bottom, foster productive excellence in light manufacturing and digital economy.

“There is no industrialisation that is possible without a constant supply of power and power is the most important discovery of humanity in the last 1,000 years. If you have an answer contrary to that, show me. We have wind, water, and all sorts of energy sources that we can explore and you will discover that we need long-term funding.”

However, the Chief Spokesperson of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Dr Yunusa Tanko, expressed disappointment at the statements credited to both Tinubu and his running mate.

He said, “As far as the Labour Party is concerned, we cannot have a repetition of another eight years of an incapacitated president. We cannot afford to have somebody that will be going out of the country for a medical check-up every fortnight. It cannot be possible.

“We cannot afford to have someone full of lies and criminal records in power. Nigerians cannot afford to have the same Old Order again. They (APC) are just afraid that we have a capable, consistent, and hardworking individual on our side.”

Punch

Related Topics:Atiku Featured Obi Tinubu

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Politics

2027 election: Shehu Sani declares bid for Kaduna central senatorial seat

Published

1 day ago

March 31, 2025

Trends Admin

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani

2027 election: Shehu Sani declares bid for Kaduna central senatorial seat

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has officially announced his intention to contest for re-election in the upcoming 2027 general elections.

Sani made the declaration on Sunday while delivering his Eid-el-Fitr message at his residence in Kaduna. The former senator, known for his vocal stance on national issues, expressed his commitment to representing the people of Kaduna Central once again and addressing key challenges facing the region.

“Any politician contesting an election depends on the political equation that determines the position to vie for. If the conditions are right and the equations are favorable, I will offer myself to contest specifically for the Kaduna Central senatorial district,” he stated.

He further emphasised that his ambition remains secondary to ensuring the re-election of Governor Uba Sani for a second term.

“For now, our priority is to see that the incumbent governor, Uba Sani, is re-elected. We will work with all our might and strength to achieve this. We know there will be challenges and opposition, but we are well prepared for all forces,” he added.

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Sani also used the occasion to urge Muslims to pray for Nigeria’s peace and unity during the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations. Additionally, he condemned the recent killing of hunters in Edo State, calling on security agencies to apprehend the perpetrators.

“If citizens cannot move freely across the country, then we are not truly a nation. If individuals take the law into their hands for any reason, it means there is no government or authority,” he lamented.

He called on all Nigerians who desire a better country to work towards peace and unity for the preservation of democracy, despite the challenges being experienced.

Sani also urged the government to uphold fundamental human rights, particularly the right to life, as a crucial step towards national stability and development.

2027 election: Shehu Sani declares bid for Kaduna central senatorial seat

Politics

Wike’s aide slams Atiku, says it’s too late to buy integrity

Published

2 days ago

March 31, 2025

Trends Admin

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Wike’s aide slams Atiku, says it’s too late to buy integrity

Lere Olayinka, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media has alleged that one Nigerian that can never be found in the gathering of men of character and integrity is former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Olayinka said this while reacting to statement by the Atiku Media Office that Atiku rejected the choice of Wike as his Vice Presidential candidate in the 2023 election of his character.

This was in spite of the fact that a committee set up by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to select a Vice Presidential candidate for the 2023 election had recommended Wike.

However, Olayinka said rather than Wike, it’s Atiku that that lacked character as attested to by his former boss, Olusegun Obasanjo, in his book; My Watch.

According to Olayinka, it was already too late for Atiku to buy ‘character and integrity that he has lacked from birth’.

He said no one could have knew Atiku better than President Olusegun Obasanjo, under whom he served as Vice President for eight years.

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Olayinka said; “One of the reasons Wike first rejected Atiku’s offer to have him as his running mate was his not too impressive character and integrity rating, until he was prevaied upon. And this, Atiku exhibited when he rejected the decision of committee the party set up to pick his running mate even after telling everyone that the decision of the committee will be bidding on him.

“Now, after his lies that he picked his running mate based on the committee report that placed the former Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, as number one was bursted, he is now sermonising about character and integrity, which he, himself does not have.

“Funny that the same Atiku, that his boss described as a ‘blatant and shameless liar,’ is the one talking about character.

“For the records, Obasanjo said in his book, ‘My Watch’ that ‘What I did not know, which came out glaringly later, was his parental background which was somewhat shadowy, his propensity to corruption, his tendency to disloyalty, his inability to say and stick to the truth all the time, a propensity for poor judgement, his belief and reliance on marabouts, his lack of transparency, his trust in money to buy his way out on all issues and his readiness to sacrifice morality, integrity, propriety, truth and national interest for self and selfish interest.’

“Up till today, Atiku has not debunked what his boss said about him.

“Unlike Atiku, Wike does not hide or pretend on where he stands on issues. He is not one that will do a tweet on major issues and rush to delete it. He didn’t pretend about his position on the 2023 election and he won’t pretend on where he will stand in 2027.

“It is Atiku, that should start being truthful and reliable, especially now that he is old, because everything should not be about desperation to be president.”

Wike’s aide slams Atiku, says it’s too late to buy integrity

Politics

Atiku says he’s not sure about contesting 2027 presidential election

Published

7 days ago

March 26, 2025

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Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Atiku says he’s not sure about contesting 2027 presidential election

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that he does not know if he will contest the presidency in 2027.

Atiku made the remark in a yet-to-be-aired interview for a television show, Untold Stories, with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie, scheduled for broadcast today but exclusively obtained by Daily Trust.

The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently announced the formation of a coalition of opposition leaders to wrest power from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.

However, there has been widespread speculation about who will lead the coalition and emerge as its presidential candidate, with former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi and former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, being considered among its key figures.

When asked if he would be running for the presidency in 2027, Atiku said: “I don’t know because there has to be, first of all, a viable platform, more than any other time in the political history of this country, particularly since the return of democracy.”

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Atiku, who has run for the presidency a record six times, did not rule out the possibility of contesting again in 2027.

“I have not seen Nigeria in dire need of, you know, an experienced and credible leadership than this time.

“We had a similar, you know, what would I say, merger in 2014. About four of us or is it three? We all ran for president and one of us emerged, and we all supported the one who emerged, and he won,” he said.

He agreed with former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s assertion that Nigeria’s democracy is deteriorating, saying the situation is “very dire.”

“No doubt about that,” he said.

Atiku also expressed his disappointment with the country’s political leadership.

“The next generation after me, many of them had been governors, had been senators. Instead of me to see an improvement in the level of governance at the state level and so on and so forth, I don’t see it. So I feel a little bit distressed.”

Atiku also questioned the credibility of the current legislative leadership, especially as it relates to the National Assembly’s ratification of the state of emergency in Rivers State

“I am not surprised,” he said, alleging that they are corrupt.