Chinelo Obogo
National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has vowed that though the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, is his friend, he will retire him from politics, tomorrow.
In a statement he personally signed, Tinubu accused the PDP of indilging in ‘political swindle’, and urged voters to reject the party by voting for President Muhammadu Buhari.
Tinubu said: “I’ve made no attempts to hide my friendship with Atiku. We were friends before this election, and, hopefully, we’ll be friends after February 16, when he goes into retirement. Despite our friendship, I must say the type of enrichment of friends he envisions does not recommend itself to me. It is unjust and impoverishes all but a handful of Nigerians.
“I want no part of such enrichment, for my love of Nigeria and its people is far greater and deeper than my friendship with Atiku. For the good of Nigeria, and even the good of Atiku himself, we’ll do well to send him into retirement tomorrow.”
Also, during a party’s stakeholders’ meeting at the Police College in Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday, Tinubu said he decided to change his tradition of providing money for logistics and mobilisation before elections and opted for compensation of members who win their polling units.
He also urged members to work hard to deliver not less than three million votes for president Buhari. He said he promised the president that he would give his all, including spending his personal resources, to ensure his victory.
“I want you, our party members, to go all out and vote massively for president Buhari. You must deliver, at least, three million votes or more to the president, to show that the whole state is firmly for him.
“I’ve been made the co-chairman of the APC presidential campaign committee because of the trust in me. We should justify that trust and give our best for Buhari and Osinbajo.
“Traditionally, I usually dish out money a day to the election for mobilisation and to aid our members in logistics. But, this time around, I’ve changed my strategy. I’ve decided not to give money before the election, but have the list of all our members, and compensate those who deliver their polling units. The higher the number of votes, the bigger the compensation.
“When I say I’ll do something, I do it. The compensation I plan to give is already in the bank, but, I won’t tell you which bank. I’m not here to buy votes or make empty promises. In Lagos, we do not believe in violence and we don’t rig elections. We are confident we’ll win.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has made voting very simple, and it will cost nothing to go to the polling unit to vote.
“I want to thank all the party leaders who went round to areas where we had issues to resolve the crises, and I appeal for peace. If it is not your turn today, it will be your turn tomorrow. We are grateful to all those who listened to us and obeyed our directives,” Tinubu said.