Former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, has described the endorsement of Labor Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, by former President Olusegun Obasanjo as a grievous mistake done out of fear for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as well as their candidates, Bola Ahmad Tinibu and Atiku Abubakar.
Lamido who stated this while fielding questions from journalists at his residence in Bamaina town in Jigawa berated Obasanjo for failing to recognise the honour given to him by PDP which has made him one of the eminent persons in Nigeria and beyond.
“It is well known that Obasanjo doesn’t like a strong person like Atiku Abubakar to become the president of this country for fear of outshining him and will not be answerable or succumb to his personal ego.
“I wonder how a respected person like Obasanjo can endorse a candidate of other party than PDP. This is a big mistake in the annals of history that will not be forgotten.
“Though Obasanjo is my political leader, this action can’t be overlooked, considering how PDP glorified and elevated him to what he has become today. This is an unforgivable mistake,” Lamido stated.
The former governor reminded Obasanjo of his failed attempt to go for a third term, adding that the former president will also fail in his latest counter-productive political mission.
Lamido, one of the founding fathers of PDP, declared that PDP is the only answer to Nigerian problems, adding that it is the only party Nigerians have confidence in and would certainly not make another mistake of voting another party other than PDP.
Oyo Rally Shows You Can’t Dictate To Nigerians, PDP Tells G-5 Governors
Meanwhile, in a veiled reference to the G-5 governors, the PDP yesterday urged those seeking to dictate to Nigerians on their electoral preferences to retrace their steps.
It said the rally held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Thursday was an indication that the people are not ready to be swayed by personal, group or sectional consideration in their support for its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The PDP hailed what it called the commitment and courage of the people of Oyo State to support Atiku and all other candidates of the party in the 2023 general elections.
The G-5 governors, Nyesom Wike (Rivers); Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Governor Seyi Makinde, were expected to reveal their preferred candidate on January 5 in Ibadan during Makinde’s second term campaign.
But they came short of doing so, giving fillip to reports that the governors are yet to reach a consensus on which candidate to support.
However a video which went viral on social media showed supporters shouting Atiku shortly after Wike told them to vote for all PDP candidates in the state and await Makinde’s directive on who to vote for in the presidential election.
The governors had recently returned from a trip to London where they had deliberated on which of the candidates to support among Atiku, Bola Tinubu of the APC and Peter Obi of Labour Party.
Reacting to the outcome of the Oyo rally, PDP in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Hon Debo Ologungba, commended the tenacity of PDP members and supporters in Oyo State to express their support for Atiku at the flag-off of the PDP governorship campaign in Ibadan on Thursday in defiance to attempts to dictate their electoral preference.
Ologungba said, “The overwhelming chanting of “Atiku! Atiku!” by the resilient crowd in rejection of a request that they follow the dictate of some individuals in the presidential election summarily conveyed, in one voice, their nonnegotiable resolve to vote Atiku Abubakar as the next President of our country.
“The people of Oyo State as independent-minded and politically savvy have again demonstrated their sobriquet as Pace-setter in the politics of Nigeria by establishing that power lies in the Will of the people and not the endorsement or dictate of any person or group of persons.
“Unambiguously, the expression of the people of Oyo State at the flag-off event firmly signposts and reaffirms the support of the South West Geo-Political Zone for Atiku Abubakar and all our candidates in the South West and across the country.
“The PDP counsels those seeking to dictate to Nigerians on their electoral preferences to retrace their steps especially now that it is clear that the people are not ready to be swayed by personal, group or sectional consideration in their support for Atiku Abubakar and the PDP.
“Nigerians across board have found in Atiku Abubakar the desired integrity, cognate experience, capacity, ability, mental alertness, presence of mind, Pan-Nigeria deportment and required Will Power to unify and lead our nation at this critical time.
“Our Party therefore charges the people of Oyo State, the South West Zone and all Nigerians to remain firm in their resolve by coming out en-masse to vote as well as take every measure available in a democracy to protect their votes in the overall quest to rescue our nation from the maladministration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and return her to the path of national stability, peace, economic prosperity and happiness of all, that Atiku Abubakar embodies”.
IBB’s Endorsement Of Peter Obi Imagination Of Fraudsters – Aide
Meanwhile, former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), has denied supporting the endorsement of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of Labour Party, by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
IBB, as Babangida is fondly called, formally disowned the Twitter account used to express his support.
One of his aides, Mallam Salman Yusuf, urged Nigerians to beware of internet fraudsters using the name and picture of the former military president to send wrong signals to gain political influence
Speaking with journalists in Minna, the Niger State capital, Yusuf said the former Nigerian leader cannot send messages since he does not operate any social media accounts.
“Our attention has been drawn to a plethora of fake social media accounts, especially Twitter bearing General Babangname names and photos. We wish to state that IBB has never owned nor operated any social media account, and he does not intend to operate any nshortlyfuture” he declared.
He added that “the surfeit of Twitter accounts bearing his photos and names are fake.
“The fake accounts are the creation of identity thieves and cyber fraudsters, local and international, who steal the identity of prominent people to defraud, misinform and commit heinous crimes against Nigerians and foreigners alike”.
He said Babangida does not comment on national issues on social media, adding that it is unnecessary because there are official channels available to him to communicate his stand on any national issue to the authorities.
“Besides, he has unfettered access to several credible mainstream media that he can talk to any time he is strongly strong about any matter.
“We implore the general public, indeed, all Nigerians, to please ignore the warped imaginations and antics of cyber criminals who do not mean well for our great country”, Yusuf said.
Yusuf reiterated that Babangida’s faith in Nigeria is unshakeable, noting that the former Nigerian leader is optimistic that as a people, Nigerians shall overcome their current national challenges if they do not grow weary and if they resolve to get their leadership question right.
He urged Nigerians to get involved in the democratic process, conduct themselves peacefully, and exercise their constitutional rights by voting for candidates of their choice in the coming general election.
Buhari To Campaign For Tinubu In 10 States
Meanwhile, the APC presidential campaign council has released a revised campaign timetable indicating that President Muhammadu Buhari would attend the party’s presidential campaign in at least ten states of the federation.
In a statement issued yesterday, the party’s campaign spokesperson, Festus Keyamo, said Buhari would be available to wave the broom and mobilise voters in Adamawa on January 9, Yobe on January 10, Sokoto on January 16, Kwara on January 17 and Ogun on 25 January.
The president, Keyamo said, would also be physically present at the rallies in Cross River on January 30, Nasarawa on February 4, Katsina on February 6 and Imo on February 14.
He added that Buhari will also participate in the grand finale of the APC presidential campaign in Lagos on February 18 ahead of the election on February 25.
The president had on November 15, 2022, attended the flag-off of the APC presidential campaign in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
He thereafter stayed away from campaign activities, a development that triggered speculations that he had little or no commitment to the Bola Tinubu-Kashim Shettima presidential ticket of the APC.
Buhari’s decision to rejoin the campaign has immediately sparked excitement in the APC presidential campaign council, with Keyamo describing the development as the president’s demonstration of “further personal commitment to the election of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
“The PCC expresses its profound gratitude to President Buhari, the leader of our great party, for his sterling and inspirational leadership at this time and for galvanising our teeming members and supporters across the country,” Keyamo said.
“We urge our party faithful and supporters to turn out en masse, as usual, in the forthcoming campaign rallies. The zero hour is nigh; our spirits must be high; we must not relent in this collective march to our victory that is divinely ordained,” he added.
