2023: Why you shouldn’t vote for Peter Obi, Atiku – Tinubu tells Igbos

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu, has asked Igbos not to vote for presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Atiku Abubakar, in the forthcoming 25 February election.

Mr Tinubu spoke on Tuesday during the APC presidential campaign rally in Awka, Anambra State, South-east Nigeria.

The rally was broadcast live on TVC News, a Lagos-based television station, and monitored by PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, told the crowd that Mr Obi was unfit to be president because he is a “stingy person” who prioritised saving money rather than developing the state while he was governor.

“Mr Stingy refused to use the state’s money to help its people. He sacrificed your welfare and wellbeing so that he can boast that he saved money. But what good is saving money if you refuse to save your own people?” he said, without mentioning Mr Obi’s name.

“That type of man is a danger to those unfortunate enough to be subject to his misrule. Such a man was ill equipped to be your governor. Do not make him your president,” Mr Tinubu stated.

Mr Obi, served as the governor of Anambra State between 2006 and 2014 under the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance.

The LP candidate has been noted for his penchant for making savings. He has been described by many as “stingy” due to his perceived prudence in managing public resources.

At the rally, Mr Tinubu claimed that Mr Obi lives in Lagos State because he (Obi) is “guilty” of not developing his home state.

“I made similar progress when governor of Lagos. Meanwhile, one of my opponents is a former governor of your state. But he does not live among you. He lives in Lagos,” he said.

“I live in Lagos because I am pleased with the progress we made in turning Lagos into one of Africa’s biggest economies. My opponent, however, refuses to live among you because he feels guilty for not giving you the development and growth you deserved from him,” the former governor added.

Mr Tinubu, a Muslim, referred to an incident in the Bible where Simon Peter, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ, denied him (Christ) three times, after Christ’s arrest by Jewish authorities.

He said like the Biblical Peter, Mr Obi would deny and fail to fulfil his promises to the people.

“The man who left here, he calls himself Peter Obi. We read in the Bible that before the cock crows, he will deny Jesus Christ. Is it not true? So how can he keep his promise to you? He cannot prove a point. Has Bola Tinubu not proved a point? Did I close any market? Did I kill anyone? I’m a thinker and a doer,” Mr Tinubu said.

Atiku, PDP are all liars

Mr Tinubu also criticised the PDP candidate, Mr Atiku, and his party, accusing them of telling lies to Nigerians.

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The PDP candidate served as Nigeria’s vice-president between 1999 and 2007.

“We are not like PDP that forgot your rail line. They are liars. When you hear Atiku use the word and say “Wallahi talahi,” what is in his head is “na lie I lie.” Anytime you hear him say, “Walahi talahi,” just reply and say, “na lie I lie,” he said.

“For 16 years, PDP lied that they will give industrialisation, but instead they sold our assets to themselves and they called it privatisation. Privatization to their own pockets. They privatised the industry to their pockets,” the former governor alleged.

Continuing, Mr Tinubu said: “Atiku said he is the candidate of the north. Is that not a dog whistle? Is that not a division among us? Anambra people lived well, in prosperity and joy with me in Lagos. I started paying WAEC fees, I didn’t discriminate whether you are Igbo, Christian or anybody, I paid for everybody,” he claimed.