The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Bola Tinubu has alleged that the lingering fuel crisis as well as the currency redesign by the Central Bank of Nigeria is part of the plot to scuttle his anticipated victory at the poll.
Tinubu who made the allegation during the APC presidential campaign held yesterday at the MKO Abiola stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, Ogun State however vowed that Nigerians will defy all odds to cast their votes.
He added that the 2023 election would be a revolution.
“They don’t want this election to hold. They want to scuttle it. Will you allow them?
“They have started coming up with the issue of ‘no fuel’. Don’t worry, if there is no fuel, we will trek to cast the vote. If you like to increase the pump price of fuel, hide the fuel or change the ink on the naira notes, we will win the election.
“We will use PVCs to take over government from them, if they like, let them say is no fuel, we will trek there. They are full of mischief, they can say there is no fuel, they have started talking about fuel scarcity, forget about it, be rest assured. I, Asiwaju will end fuel scarcity.
“Let the price of fuel continue to soar, they are the ones that know where they are hoarding it. You’re hoarding the naira notes, they are hoarding fuel, we will vote and we will win.
“If you like to change the ink in the naira note, you can spend lavishly and become a debtor, you will be shocked, we win the election; the opposition (the umbrella party) will be defeated.
“I’m a youth; I’m here for you and you will not be put to shame. We will take over the government from them; they are traitors that want to wrestle the government from us, they have never done it before.”
“This is a revolution; this election is a revolution. They are being cuny; they are jokes. When there’s nothing to say, they are creating artificial fuel scarcity, they are saying the pump price will increase to N200, N500 but let your mind be at rest, we will end fuel scarcity, we will end fuel crisis,” he said.
Tinubu again reiterated his resolve for students’ loan, assuring that no student will be dropped out of the university because of money.
“I am assuring you one thing, there will be a student loan, and nobody will drop out of the university because of school fees, I guarantee you that. Nobody will have to repeat one class for eight years and not graduate, we are too smart, we are brilliant, we are courageous, we are sharp, and we will make four years course four years course. You agree, will you vote? Whether there is fuel or not.
“They think they can create a problem, they are sabotaging fuel, whether there’s fuel or not, whether there’s a bicycle or not, whether there is tricycle or not, we will go and vote and we will win.”
“This is a superior revolution and when I tell you, you know what I mean, you know me, we are going to go there to win.”
Reacting to the comments, the presidential council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said blackmailing President Muhammadu Buhari would not save Tinubu from defeat at the February 25 presidential poll.
In a statement entitled “Fuel scarcity, new naira notes: stop shedding crocodile tears, Atiku/Okowa campaign mocks Tinubu, the PDP said: “Tinubu is seeking a face-saving measure ahead of his shattering electoral defeat by shedding crocodile tears and claiming that the redesigning of the naira notes and the fuel crisis under the APC administration, which he has reportedly been corruptly benefitting, were plots to scuttle the 2023 general elections.
“It is unfortunate that Asiwaju Tinubu is trying to hoodwink Nigerians by seeking to exonerate himself and blame others in the Buhari led-APC administration from the biting fuel scarcity in the country, when in reality he (Asiwaju Tinubu) is known to be behind the insensitive and anti-people policies that have brought so much calamity to our country including the current persistent fuel scarcity.
“It indeed speaks volumes of Asiwaju Tinubu’s character that while he is reported to be hugely involved in the corruption in the petroleum sector, which had led to the fuel crisis, he is pretending to care for the pains Nigerians are passing through just because it was beginning to affect his political life ambition.
“Furthermore, it is clear that Asiwaju Tinubu is lamenting over the redesigning of the naira just because the policy has frustrated his boastful plots to use slush fund, which he reportedly stashed away in secret vaults, for vote buying and manipulative schemes including alleged funding of thugs to compromise the integrity of the 2023 Presidential election through the setting up of the Jagaban Army
“Of course, only politicians who have always won elections by relying on bullion vans have become troubled over the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) monetary policy to redesign the naira.
“More reprehensible is the fact that few months to the end of the Buhari government, Asiwaju Tinubu is now struggling to distance himself from an administration which he told the world that he brought into office just because he wants to beguile Nigerians and take their votes.
“How can Asiwaju Tinubu accuse an administration he had been a part of since 2015 of trying to sabotage the 2023 elections except he is making revelations to Nigerians about their plans?
“It is imperative to state that Nigerians, who are prepared to trek distances to cast their votes are the patriots who have been at the butt of pains which the government Asiwaju Tinubu installed has foisted on them.
“Asiwaju Tinubu ought to know that Nigerians can see through his antics and beguilements and that his diversionary theatrics on fuel and new naira notes cannot sway Nigerians at this moment.
“In any case, from the songs of lamentation of Asiwaju Tinubu, it is clear that his Presidential life ambition has collapsed.
“Our campaign therefore counsels him to withdraw from the race before the Waterloo of his loud defeat by Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).”
