…Denies throwing naira notes at supporters
By Chinelo Obogo
Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has said he would work very hard to make Nigeria great if elected president.
He also denied spraying fake naira notes to his supporters during the final presidential mega rally held in Lagos on Tuesday. Speaking at the Teslim Balogun stadium in Surulere area of Lagos state, Tinubu commended President Muhammadu Buhari for supporting him and promised to pay back the support by working hard for Nigeria. He also promised to vigorously pursue all the programmes in his manifesto and also fulfill his campaign promises
“Thank you Mr. President for everything. You set our foot on the part to the future and achieved greatness because it is desirable for Nigeria to be great. But you said that for anyone to succeed you, he or she, must work hard and must follow the law. You said that the election must be very transparent and that your party would be a shining example like the sun shining on the mountain. You followed the procedure and you encouraged all of us. The primary came, the vote was cast and we all waited anxiously and I won the votes. You didn’t ask them to reverse it based upon my religion. You didn’t ask them to alter it, based upon my tribe, you didn’t ask us to change it because I was not from your village in Daura. You celebrated my victory and congratulated me.
“I came to you to nominate my running mate just like I did for you in 2015 but you said no and told me that I know better whom I would want to work with. You gave me the courage and the confidence and the reason for this country and your vision is for growth, independence of mind and the capacity to think. You encouraged me and after that, I made my choice and I chose the most knowledgeable.
“I heard loud and clear the level of confidence you have in me. In a distant country, Mr President told them of my characteristics and his faith in my capacity to do a good job as a president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I thank him very much,” he said.
“He returned yesterday and said he must come to Lagos to attend this rally. He never missed his word and promise. He promised to give to you the future of this country – to lay it in the hands of the youths. I want to say thank you very much.
“I assure you that as you worked hard for me, I will work hard for Nigeria. As you give Nigerians the hope to renew their faith in their country, I will sustain that hope. I will bring it to those who look helpless today. All the agenda in our programme – renewed hope manifesto – will be pursued diligently and vigorously with all our energy.”
Denying reports that Tinubu sprayed naira notes at his supporters during the rally, the national publicity secretary of the Lagos State APC, Mr. Seye Oladejo, said in a statement that the reports are orchestrated and false.
“There are orchestrated report that Tinubu threw wads of bank-notes to cheering crowd at Oshodi as his motorcade rode past from Lagos airport enroute Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. It is nothing but a lie from the pit of hell.
“It is part of an ongoing well-oiled campaign of calumny to project Asiwaju in bad light at a time millions of Nigeria are unable to access their hard-earned cash deposited in the banks. Asiwaju has championed the cause of long-suffering Nigerians that they be allowed to spend old bank notes pending when CBN is able to make adequate bank notes available. So, where will Asiwaju have seen new notes to be throwing on Lagos highways?
“We chose to make this brief statement for the sake of the gullible who might be deceived by such cheap spin. A closer look at the trending video will clearly reveal that two APC leaders are the ones actually throwing branded APC fez caps and leaflets to cheering crowd. Certainly not Naira notes,” Oladejo said.