The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Saturday, warned his opponents to desist from plans to kill him, saying that the sinister line of thought as witnessed in the country before would be counter-productive.
Tinubu, who spoke while addressing All Progressives Congress (APC) members and supporters during a presidential campaign rally held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, was received by a mammoth crowd at the venue.
The former governor of Lagos State flanked by his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, urged his supporters to retire his major challenger, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, politically in 2023 election with their PVCs.
Party stalwarts present at the rally included the host, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Governors of Kwara, Abdulrahman Abdulrazak; Kebbi, Atiku Bagudu; Kaduna, Nasir El-Rufai, and Ogun, Dapo Abiodun.
Others were Governors of Kogi, Yahya Bello; Ekiti, Biodun Oyebanji; Kano, Abdullahi Ganduje, and Jigawa, Abubakar Badaru.
The Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) and Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong; APC national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu; Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; former governors of Ogun and Ekiti States, Olusegun Osoba and Kayode Fayemi respectively, were also present, among others.
Addressing the crowd, Tinubu said, “I am indeed very grateful to God Almighty, to all of you people, to the members of Buhari’s cabinet. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
He appreciated Governor Sanwo-Olu for putting together a successful rally, saying, “I don’t think anything is missing here. We will continue to progress in good governance. You will not be forgotten in healthcare, education.”
While referring to the opposition candidates, Tinubu said, “This election will be about the broom revolution. You can’t kill me as you did kill others,” he boasted.
Tinubu added: “I know one man, Atiku, he has been contesting since 1999. He ran under PDP, under AC, we gave him the platform but they repaid us with evils. Tell him to go and sit at home. Use your PVC to retire him this time around in 2023.”
The APC presidential candidate noted that PDP ruled Nigeria for 16 years without any meaningful impact, adding “all the APC Governors have decided to support me. We shall move together to the Villa.”
For his part, the national chairman of APC, Abdullahi Adamu, said: “Lagos has spoken and you have spoken well, you have come out en masse to show support.
“I am appealing to you that it’s not over until it is over. It is not done until it is done. APC has chosen a good candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He is the president in waiting.”
Speaker Gbajabiamila in his speech said, “We have come to energise the base. As you are energised, go out there to energise the spring voters. Everyone here is BATified. Tinubu is the greatest politician in modern day Nigerian politics.
“For those who doubt his age, tell them to go and meet his mother in the grave. He is the most educated candidate among the presidential candidates.
“I want to tell our South-East and South-South brothers, it is time to invest in Tinubu.”
The chairman, Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Governor Atiku Bagudu said, “I stand here on behalf of all the APC Governors, I thank Lagosians for putting their trust in Asiwaju. Our party believes in Asiwaju.”
He explained that just as the country is currently challenged, Tinubu would transform Nigeria as he did when he emerged as Lagos Governor in 1999.”
For PCC DG, Lalong, he said: “As we are coming, I didn’t only see human beings, I saw fishes jumping inside water to celebrate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This is the most suitable person that can succeed Buhari in 2023.
“It is very clear that Nigerians have decided to vote for Tinubu and Shettima. I know charity begins at home. I know he has the capacity and charisma to serve Nigerians. I plead with Lagosians to vote for him. Some candidates will come and give you false statistics. Buhari has told me to inform you that you should remain focused.”
Earlier, in his welcome address, Governor Sanwo-Olu said: “I thank you for standing with the architect of modern Lagos, Asiwaju Tinubu. He is the champion that can bring cohesion to the nation. He is the right man for the right job.
“I have the privilege of working with him. He is a man that has a fountain of knowledge. Let me welcome you to the city that is the home to everybody.”
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