In view of latest closed door meetings going on between former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and embattled minority in the office of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, as well as other defectors who recently decamped from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that such efforts geared towards a gang up against the re-election in 2019 of President Muhammadu Buhari will pave to nothing.
Tinubu, who is the National Leader of the APC, made the statement while address party members at a stakeholders meeting of the state chapter in Lagos on Tuesday.
The former governor of Lagos State said he was confident that President Muhammadu Buhari will win in 2019.
He said the president had acquainted himself as a leader so far despite the challenges of governance.
Tinubu condemned what he called the frequent attacks on the Buhari-led administration by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, adding that the criticisms of Obasanjo were in bad faith and so that he could not stop Nigerians from re-electing the president.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has done well, he deserves another term, and we will support him to win because he is our man.
“Forget about Obasanjo’s letter and his frequent attacks on our president, he cannot stop the president because Nigerians would re-elect him.
“Obasanjo has spent his own time; he should leave Buhari alone and face his business because he cannot tell us who to vote for.
“He is part of some of the challenges we are facing in the country today because he did not lay the right foundation when he was president,” he said.
Speaking on the APC defectors, Tinubu dismissed their exit from the party as pinch of salt that would make no impact of any sort in how Buhari returns in the coming year.
He specifically said exit of some members from the APC would also not stop the re-election of President Buhari.
The chieftain said the party was unshaken by the defections and was on course to recording victories in the 2019 elections.
Tinubu said the results of the Kogi, Katsina and Bauchi by-elections in which the APC was victorious, were a precursor to the pattern of the general elections.
“I congratulate the winners in the elections, their victory is proof that our party is getting more popular by the day.
“Those who want to defect can defect; that is their problem. APC remains unshaken and these people will know the reality in elections,” he said. He commended the National Chairman of the party, Mr. Adams Oshiomole, saying members were pleased with what he was doing in the party.
He said the direct primary system was good for democracy, and that the party would adopt it to conduct its primaries. Tinubu urged members to play by the rules in electing candidates at the primaries.
He urged the members to mobilse others to obtain their PVCs as that was necessary for victory in 2019.
Meanwhile, there were concerns among political stakeholders who attended the meeting with Tinubu when the deliberation ended without the much expected endorsement of Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode for re-election.
