Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate for the All Progressives Congress, criticised Atiku Abubakar, the candidate for the People’s Democratic Party, on Monday for using the ethnicity card in the run-up to the 2023 election.
At an interactive meeting with the Arewa Joint Committee conducted on Monday at the Arewa House in Kaduna, Tinubu stated that he saw himself as a pan-Nigerian who has travelled around the entire nation.
Nevertheless, he added, “How do we reconcile that? You (obviously referring to Atiku) started from Uyo and have ended up in Kaduna and you are saying to the North that you are the appropriate candidate for the North. You are no longer in office.
Tinubu went further to say that the PDP presidential candidate ought to have endorsed him, having supported him in 2007 for the presidency instead of competing with him for the same position. “It’s payback time.
Let Atiku endorse me instead of campaigning in Kaduna. I supported him in 2007,” he added.
The former Lagos helmsman told the gathering that comprised the Arewa Consultative Forum, Northern Elders Forum, Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, Jamiyyar Matan Arewa, the Center for Historical Development Research (Arewa House) as well as the Arewa Research and Documentation Project, that he was also one of them.
“I am one of you. Yes. I am a city boy from Lagos,” he added.
The former National Anthem’s line, “Though tribe and tongue may differ,” was quoted by Tinubu to support his argument that he was not trying to position himself as an ethnic hero like his rival.
He said that his government will put an end to the ragtag bandits terrorising the area, adding, “A ragtag bandit would not overcome us. We’ll triumph over them.
Further, Tinubu declared that if elected president, he will marshal every resource at “our national power” to safeguard Nigeria.
