The national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has said that even if the association of persons he described as “angry old men” refuses to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari in the forthcoming election, he (Buhari) will still score 95 per cent of the votes.
Tinubu who stated this on Monday in Maiduguri, Borno State during President Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential campaign, was reacting to an open letter entitled ‘Point for Concern and Action’ in which the former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo said among other things that Buhari exhibits dictatorial tendencies like the former military head of state, late Gen. Sani Abacha.
“Buhari is putting into practice the lessons he learned from Abacha. I have been threatened with arrest and extermination but I will not succumb to intimidation or threats.
“Buhari’s scheme bears eloquent testimony to this road similar to Abacha whom he has praised to high heavens and as an arch-supporter and beneficiary from Abacha, he has seen nothing wrong done by him,” said Obasanjo.
He also alleged that the current plan is to unleash violence of unimaginable proportion in high voting population areas across the country to precipitate re-run elections and where he (Buhari) will be returned duly elected after concentration of security officials as it happened in Osun State.
He also said Buhari had abdicated his campaign headship to Jagaban, apparently referring to Tinubu who holds the traditional title of Jagaban Borgu and who now superintends the president’s campaign team.
“We have been told that governance has been abdicated to a cabal. Now, campaigning has been abdicated to ‘jagaban’. And it is being authoritatively stated that he would not join any presidential debate. Nigerians will not allow the elections to be abdicated to INEC and police to give us false and manipulated results.
Tinubu who spoke at the Ramat Square, venue of the campaign described former President Olusegun Obasanjo as one of the “expired leaders” that should have retired to his Ota Farm and remain quiet.
“It is unfortunate that expired leaders like Olusegun Obasanjo is ranting and lying. Don’t trust him. We are sweeping all the cobwebs of corruption away with broom out of Nigeria. Ota Farm should be enough a retirement place for Obasanjo,” he said.
He said elections conducted during the 16-year administration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was characterised by rigging.
“Who among Nigerians will recall how the PDP government under Obasanjo had been notorious for rigging elections.
“No government has upheld the tenets of democracy like the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We asked for the recognition of June 12 from Obasanjo, he refused; but President Muhammadu Buhari, as an honest man with integrity, heard our cry and recognised June 12.
“Even if the Forum of Association of Angry Old Men refuses to vote for Buhari, we will give him 95 percent votes,” he said.
Also speaking, the national chairman of the APC, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole said Obasanjo’s “attack” was done “out of frustration.”
He said the South-South which used to be the stronghold of PDP had “caught the Buhari fever.”
He said Obasanjo was “unsettled” when he saw what happened in Delta State during the APC campaign there, and “hurriedly went to the toilet for five times due to running stomach.”
“The people writing epistle now watched how money meant for security was appropriated by not only the PDP but Generals.
“Under their watch, over 20 local government areas of Borno State were taken over by the Boko Haram terrorists before the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Today, no matter what they want to say, there is no local government where Boko Haram is hoisting their flag. All the 27 local government areas of Borno have been liberated by APC government,” he said.
