Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has spurned insinuations of friction in his relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari, saying his support for the president was unalloyed and enduring.
Addressing a presidential campaign rally in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital on Saturday, Tinubu promised to tackle problems bedevilling the state and enhance agricultural productivity.
He thanked the people of Zamfara State and key party leaders for the warm welcome and their continued support for the APC.
In his prepared speech which he could not read because of massive crowd, Tinubu said, “I have supported President Buhari even before his first day in office. I will continue to be his supporter and friend after his last day in office.”
The former Lagos State governor said President Buhari was leading the nation with courage and selflessness.
He stated: “He (Buhari) tackled the problems other leaders ran from. He has earned a place in history that cannot be denied.
“I have said this before and will say it again now: when the true history of this moment is written, President Buhari shall be treated very kindly because of his contributions to the nation.”
Tinubu took a swipe at the opposition, describing them as misguided politicians who don’t want greatness to happen or to last.
He said, “Their vision for Nigeria is the vision of one who cannot see. They seek to enrich themselves by making you poor. They want to eat everything so that you might go hungry. They want to own everything but leave you with nothing.
“We stand here today to affirm that our vision for a greater Nigeria will triumph over their blind vision for a broken Nigeria. Remember, where there is blind vision, there is also blind ambition.
“We will not allow their selfish games to overtake you. President Buhari has done his part to free Nigeria from their mean grip. Now we must do our part by freeing you from the selfish plans they have for you and our beloved land.
“Do not let those others fool you into returning to the past where you had no hope and had no say regarding the life you shall live and the future you shall enter. The APC remains the best and only hope for a more prosperous and peaceful nation.”
Tinubu also said he was conscious of the challenges faced by the people of Zamfara State and has plans to ameliorate them.
He said President Buhari and Governor Bello Matawalle had been doing their best to end the banditry problem, pledging to consolidate on the gains recorded.
“If Allah blesses us to win this election, we will not relent until we beat this problem.
“My running mate has battled Boko Haram. As governor of Lagos, I too have fought kidnappers and violent criminals. We will use our experience and our vision to defeat the wrongdoers.
“My security plan will empower all branches of security forces. There will be more personnel and we shall improve their ability to identify, pursue and stop the evil – doers. We will use modern air and ground technology to trace and capture these criminals,” he added.
The APC presidential candidate also promised to turn around the agricultural fortune of the State and develop other natural resources found in the State.
“Zamfara State has great deposits of natural resources. My economic plan is to closely cooperate with the state government to attract the right type of investment in mining. This investment will not exploit the people of Zamfara. Instead, it will open the door to safer mining, better jobs and increased economic growth for the state,” he said.
Speaking earlier at the rally, APC national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and Zamfara State governor, Bello Matawalle, charged residents of the state to massively support Tinubu in view of his good plans for the State and Nigeria.
Before attending the rally, Tinubu had visited the Emir of Gusau, Dr. Ibrahim Bello, who conferred the title of Wakilin Raya Karkara (Ambassador for Rural Transformation) on him.
Tinubu was accompanied by Governor Atiku Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, Senator Aliyu Wamakko from Sokoto State, former Zamfara State governors; Senator Sani Yerima, Alhaji Mahmuda Shinkafi and Senator Abdulaziz Yari, among other APC chieftains.
The rally was also attended by former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen Tukur Buratai (rtd), APC National Women Leader, Dr Betta Edu, Alhaji Ibrahim Kabir Masari, among others.
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