The Akwa Ibom State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken exception to the attack unleashed on the state governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel by the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Bola Tinubu during the party’s campaign in Uyo on Monday.
The APC torch bearer was reported to have said that he has the power to chase Emmanuel out his (Emmanuel’s) house which is “in my backyard in Lagos.”
“Akwa Ibom, you will not suffer again. That boy (Emmanuel Udom) that brought Atiku here, that calls himself governor, tell him enough is enough. He lives in my backyard in Lagos. If no be say we be one I would have driven him home. You see that mansion he is living, I would just use lizards, pigeons and scorpions and put inside,” he said.
It its reaction, the PDP in a statement by its spokesman, Mr. Borono Bassey, described Tinubu as “senile and entitled centenarian” adding that he should be serving a life sentence for his momentous indictment in a drug cartel’s dealings in the United States, which led to his forfeiture of $460,000 in 1993.
In the statement entitled ‘Tinubu and his ‘non compos mentis’ remarks on Governor Emmanuel’ the party said Tinubu’s actions, utterances and dispositions have sold him out as a non compos mentis (someone with unsound mind.)
The statement reads: “We have watched the video of the Campaign Speech by the “microphone-tasting” Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress – Mr. Bola Tinubu wherein he described our highly celebrated and revered Governor, His Excellency, Mr. Udom Emmanuel as a “small boy who lives at his backyard in Lagos” during his visit to Uyo Akwa Ibom State.
“It is indeed sad that Nigerians, including Akwa Ibom people have been forced to bear the excruciating pains of watching a senile and entitled centenarian who should be serving a life sentence for his momentous indictment in a drug cartel’s dealings in the United States, which led to his forfeiture of $460,000 in 1993, now making a shameful shot at becoming Nigeria’s President.
“Today, hundreds of millions of Nigerians and even members of the international community hold the consensus opinion that the decision by this decrepit, staggering-old and baggage-laden man to put one of his entitled “leprous” foot on the same staircase which law-abiding, clean and morally upright Nigerians have stepped their foot on, to communicate their desire to ascend the presidency of this nation, has completely desecrated the entire staircase, and therefore attracting ridicule to this nation. Little wonder, many chieftains of his party all over Nigeria who ordinarily should led Tinubu campaigns from the front, have decided to stand on the right side of history by refusing to touch his leprous-laden ambition even with a ten-foot pole.
“We understand Mr. Tinubu’s grief to have stepped into Akwa Ibom soil and to physically confirm with his eyes, the diverse imposing testimonials that speak eloquently of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s years of visionary stewardship to Akwa Ibom people thereby elevating Governor Emmanuel to the coveted pedestal of one of the top most celebrated Governors in Nigeria at this time. We can also wager that the enticing altitude which our state soars in, reminds him in a tragic manner, his failure to have forcefully snatched Akwa Ibom State in 2019 and annex it to the list of his failed hegemonies.
“Our Party shares in the strong sentiments of Nigerians and Akwa Ibom people that the collective destinies of our people can never be handed over to a man whose actions, utterances and dispositions have sold him out as a Non compos mentis. Akwa Ibom people since the return of democratic rule have had a pact with the Peoples Democratic Party and this pact we are confident will stretch several years beyond 2023.
“We are energized and embolden by the growing resolve of Nigerians and all Akwa Ibom people to never allow the tragedy of a Tinubu’s presidency fall on us this year or ever in our history as a Nation. We urge Mr. Tinubu to clear his throat and sit and wait patiently for the “breakfast” of tears that Nigerians will serve him in a few weeks from today.
“Ancestor Tinubu should rather take more time in taking lessons in proper pronunciation of words and identification of people instead of creating a scene of one campaign, one gaffe. It is obvious that as an ancestor, Mr. Tinubu has mistaken the Presidential Campaign of a country as big as Nigeria, to be a comedy show.”
Also reacting, the Atiku/Okowa presidential campaign council berated the APC presidential candidate for issuing threats of violence.
Spokesman for the council, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said in a statement in Abuja yesterday that Tinubu was suffering from impending defeat at the polls hence the resort to issuing threats to “successful Nigerians which manifested in his attack on the person of Emmanuel.”
He also said it is not Emmanuel’s fault that Tinubu is plagued by corruption charges including reported conviction for trafficking in narcotic for which he forfeited the sum of $460,000 to the United State.
Ologbondiyan further said is it equally not the fault of the Akwa Ibom governor that Tinubu has a record of massive looting of Lagos State resources with his many special purpose vehicle companies, cases of certificate forgery, perjury, identity theft, as well as inconsistencies in age, ancestry, educational qualifications among many others.
“Our Campaign condemns in very strong terms the resort to threats by Senator Tinubu, who is now trying to transfer his annoyance over his failed campaign as well as the frustration of crushing rejection by Nigerians to the PDP Presidential Campaign.
“It is pathetic that Tinubu, finding it extremely difficult to handle his impending defeat, is now plagued by deep-seated pains, frustration and anger against successful Nigerians which manifested in his attack on the person of Emmanuel.
“It is crude, to say the least, for Tinubu to have threatened Gov Emmanuel with chasing him (Emmanuel), a democratically elected governor, out of Lagos State.
“Nigerians can now imagine how autocratic a Tinubu Presidency, God forbids, will turn out as vicious, disrespectful, harassing, intimidating and subduing.
“It is however instructive to note that Tinubu is clearly intimidated by Udom Emmanuel’s towering achievements as well as his deft management of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council which have further fortified Akwa Ibom and other states of the federation as PDP strongholds, completely impenetrable to the APC at all levels ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“Our Campaign has been made aware of how Tinubu expressed frustration when, upon arriving Akwa Ibom State, he was confronted by massive infrastructural development and citizen empowerment achieved by Udom Emmanuel, which Tinubu was lacking during his tenure as Govern January 31, 2023
“Tinubu was said to have been comprehensively distressed by the heavy presence of the PDP in Akwa Ibom as well as the unshifting solidarity for the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the state, for which Tinubu became angry with Udom Emmanuel, having been faced by the futility of campaigning in Akwa Ibom State.
“In any case, it is not Udom Emmanuel’s fault that Asiwaju does not have any landmark project he can point to as his achievement as Governor of Lagos State, neither is it his (Emmanuel) fault that Tinubu was not competent enough to put together an effective team to drive his Presidential campaign which has practically collapsed,” Ologbondiyan stated.
