The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is trending on social media again.
This time, he made reference to when his opponent, Atiku Abubakar, was a Senate President. However, Atiku was never a Senate President.
Tinubu was addressing a rally in Uyo, Akwa Ibom when he made the statement.
Speaking in pidgin, he said: “Atiku. When we make am Senate President, haba! You sell this, you sell that, assets, our commonwealth, our patrimony, everything that we have. You sell am.” (When we made him Senate President, you sold this and that, assets, our commonwealth our patrimony, everything we have, you sold it.”
In their reaction, the camp of Atiku, who actually was a former Vice President, said the “constant gaffes” of the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate Bola Tinubu were embarrassing.
Atiku’s special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu said Tinubu had made over 20 gaffes publicly since he declared his intention to contest.
In a statement, he said Tinubu’s comments on Atiku in Uyo was another of his gaffes, noting that Atiku never contested any legislative election.
Shaibu noted that the former Lagos governor’s gaffes and miscues are “effects of his failing health” which constituted danger to national security.
The aide recalled Tinubu’s comment on recruitment of 50 million youths into the Army to solve the unemployment problem, advice to Nigerians to renew their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) before they expire, among others.
The Atiku camp said such errors at meetings with world leaders would negatively affect Nigeria’s image because “the Bola Tinubu who served as governor is different now”.
“The Bola Tinubu of today lacks the capacity to lead a nation of 200 million people most of whom are living in abject poverty.
“It is really not about his age since many leaders across the world are also advanced in age. It is about his mien, his utterances and faux pas.”
Shaibu said Tinubu and his allies have been saying what he lacks in physical capacity, he makes up for it in intelligence because the “Presidency of Nigeria is not wrestling.’’
The SA accused the politician’s handlers of “acting like a cabal”, believing that while in Aso Rock, “he will have the best medical attention and delegate important activities of state to them”.
“Nigerians have a right to demand that any aspirant to that office should be in the best state of health. Nigerians must not allow themselves to be deceived,” Shuaibu said.
Watch Tinubu’s address here
