For denigrating President Buhari, nationalists, APC groups disown Tinubu

By KEMI KASUMU

Some All Progressives Congress faithful have faulted former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, over his recent outburst in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The groups, comprising of Nationalists Movement, APC Youth Groups and Tinubu Support Groups warned Tinubu to stop playing God, adding that the presidency isn’t for sale.

Speaking to APC delegates on Friday, Tinubu alleged that he was responsible for President Muhammadu Buhari’s emergence in 2015.

He also claimed that he made Prof Yemi Osinbajo and Prince Dapo Abiodun Vice-President and Ogun State Governor respectively.

But speaking at a press conference on Sunday in Abuja, convener Hon Tobias Ogbeh said the victory of the party at the 2015 general elections was as a “result of collective action by dedicated and faithful party members, coupled with the resolve of the Nigerian people to take their destinies into their hands by voting overwhelmingly for the APC”.

By claiming that he singlehandedly gave the party victory, Ogbeh added that Tinubu is “ delusional about his ambition and also a man that has refused, either by the omission of commission to realize that the APC is a party of democrats where the rules and procedures are adhered to”.

He, however, said all presidential aspirant is equal, and under no circumstance should Tinubu attempt to bamboozle the leadership of the country and the leadership of the country towards selling the presidential ticket to him.

He further said that Tinubu doesn’t deserve the presidency due to his unpredictable disposition.

The statement read in full: “We welcome you all to this critical press conference convoked in the light of the recent statements credited to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the events that led to the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari as president in 2015.

“We must state in unequivocal terms that the events that preceded the magnanimous victory of our great party at the 2015 general elections were a result of collective action by dedicated and faithful party members, coupled with the resolve of the Nigerian people to take their destinies into their hands by voting overwhelmingly for the APC.

“It is instructive to add that the statement credited to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on how he singlehandedly made it possible for President Muhammadu Buhari to win the presidential elections is an insult to the sensibilities of the teeming APC party members that worked day and night tirelessly to see to the electoral victory of the party.

“That Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ascribed to himself the position of the god of the APC. As such, all-APC members and stakeholders should revere him and hand over to him the party’s presidential ticket in the 2023 presidential elections is an anomaly.

“It is our considered opinion that the recent posturing of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is indicative of a man that is delusional about his ambition and also a man that has refused, either by the omission of commission to realize that the APC is a party of democrats where the rules and procedures are adhered to.

“Thus, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has displayed his irritability with President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC as a party for refusing to sell the presidency to him. We are thus constrained to ask if the presidency of Nigeria is for sale? And what also qualifies him as the most sellable presidential aspirant among the lot?

“In case Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not aware, under the Muhammadu Buhari presidency, the South West has benefited tremendously in political patronage. Vice president Yemi Osinbajo is from the South West, and he is the number two citizen of the country as it stands.

“Under former president Olusegun Obasanjo, the South West also has an uninterrupted eight years of political patronage of the highest office in the country. If this is the case, then we wonder why and how it sounds in the mouth of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, insisting that it’s the turn of the South West and the Yoruba race.

“Has he taken the time to understand that the South West |region has had better political patronage than any other part of the country since the return of democracy in Nigeria in 1999?

“It is most unfortunate that Asiwaju would throw caution into the wind by making unguarded statements capable of heating the polity. As stakeholders of the APC, we are most embarrassed by his public conduct in recent times and the attempt to cause an embarrassment to President Muhammadu Buhari.

“We wish to use this medium to advise Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to play god. He must come to terms with the realization that every presidential aspirant is equal, and under no circumstance should he attempt to bamboozle the leadership of the country and the leadership of the country towards selling the presidential ticket to him.

“Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu must respect the aspirations of other notable members of the APC that have indicated an interest in flying the party’s flag in the presidential elections. As such, he must not play god.

“We also wish to use this medium to advise Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to control his ego that has recently gone on overdrive, not minding whose ox is gored. This implies that Nigerians might be dealing with a self-serving individual with little or no regard for others and their right to live.

“As a result, we wish to inform members of the general public that the over 50 Bola Tinubu Support groups across the country under this coalition have withdrawn their support for the presidential aspiration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“It is our opinion that Bola Ahmed Tinubu has the tendency to burn down the country with his recent egocentric public outbursts. Other groups under this coalition are also apprehensive that  Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu doesn’t deserve the presidency due to his unpredictable disposition.

“Our position remains that the presidency of Nigeria is not for sale, and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has no right whatsoever to bully the leadership of the country in this regard. We thank you all for your time and attention.”