• Insult unwarranted, uncharitable, says govt

From Joe Effiong, Uyo 

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State has hit back at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over the faux pas he committed against Governor Udom Emmanuel while addressing his campaign rally at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo on Monday.

Tinubu had not only called Emmanuel a boy, but also threatened to invade Emmanuel’s personal residence in Lagos and drive him away to Akwa Ibom for daring to bring Atiku Abubakar to campaign in Akwa Ibom.

Speaking partly in pidgin English, Tinubu had said: “Akwa Ibom, that boy wey bring Atiku here, wey de call himself governor, tell him enough is enough. He lives in my backyard in Lagos, If no be say we be one, I would have driven him home. You see that mansion he is living, I would just use lizards, pigeons and scorpions and put inside.”

Though Emmanuel, while swearing in new permanent secretaries and transition committee members at Banquet Hall, Uyo, later that Monday, had said he wouldn’t want to respond to Tinubu’s diatribe, as one party must play a saint for peace to reign in Nigeria, the state chapter of PDP wouldn’t acquiesce to the assumed insult on the governor.

In a statement by its state Publicity Secretary, Borono Bassey, entitled: “Tinubu and his non-compos mentis remark on Governor Emmanuel,” the PDP said they had watched the campaign speech video by the ‘microphone-tasting’ presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, Tinubu, wherein he described Governor Emmanuel as a ‘small boy who lives at his backyard in Lagos’ during his visit to Uyo Akwa Ibom State.”

The PDP said it is, indeed, sad that Nigerians, including Akwa Ibom people, have been forced to bear the excruciating pains of watching “a senile and entitled centenarian who should be serving a life sentence for his momentous indictment in a drug cartel’s dealings in the United States, which led to his forfeiture of $460,000 in 1993.

“Today, hundreds of millions of Nigerians and even members of the international community hold the consensus opinion that the decision by this decrepit, staggering-old and baggage-laden man to put one of his entitled ‘leprous’ foot on the same staircase which law-abiding, clean and morally upright Nigerians have stepped their foot on, to communicate their desire to ascend the presidency of this nation, has completely desecrated the entire staircase, and, therefore, attracting ridicule to this nation.

“Little wonder, many chieftains of his party all over Nigeria who ordinarily should lead Tinubu campaigns from the front, have decided to stand on the right side of history by refusing to touch his leprous-laden ambition even with a 10-foot pole.

“We understand Tinubu’s grief to have stepped into Akwa Ibom soil and to physically confirm with his eyes, the diverse imposing testimonials that speak eloquently of Governor Emmanuel’s years of visionary stewardship to Akwa Ibom people thereby elevating Emmanuel to the coveted pedestal of one of the top most celebrated governors in Nigeria at this time. 

“We can also wager that the enticing altitude which our state soars in, reminds him in a tragic manner, his failure to have forcefully snatched Akwa Ibom State in 2019 and annex it to the list of his failed hegemonies.

“Our party shares in the strong sentiments of Nigerians and Akwa Ibom people that the collective destinies of our people can never be handed over to a man whose actions, utterances and dispositions have sold him out as a non-compos mentis. Akwa Ibom people since the return of democratic rule have had a pact with the PDP and this pact, we are confident will stretch several years beyond 2023.

“We are energised and embolden by the growing resolve of Nigerians and Akwa Ibom people to never allow the tragedy of a Tinubu’s presidency fall on us this year or ever in our history as a nation. We urge Tinubu to clear his throat and sit and wait patiently for the ‘breakfast’ of tears that Nigerians will serve him in a few weeks from today.

“Ancestor Tinubu should rather take more time in taking lessons in proper pronunciation of words and identification of people instead of creating a scene of one campaign, one gaffe. It is obvious that as an ancestor, Tinubu has mistaken the presidential campaign of a country as big as Nigeria, to be a comedy show.” 

Meanwhile, Akwa Ibom State Government described the insults hurled at Governor Emmanuel and the people by the APC presidential candidates as unwarranted and uncharitable.

In a statement, Commissioner for Information and Information, Ini Ememobong, said the state government approved the use of the Nest of Champions (GOA) International Stadium, a state-owned property, for the APC, adding that the APC should have made provision for other facilities they intended to use.

“The government and people of the state did not at any time say or act in any way provocative to the person or campaign of Bola Tinubu. Instead, all the facilities used by his campaign were generously approved for their use, by the government, without any hitch or delay.

“The residence which Tinubu has threatened to take over, totally belongs to the government of our state and his threat is taken very seriously, considering his antecedents. Conversely, Akwa Ibom has been home to all Nigerians (including Yoruba people), who have, over many years, done business and even resided here, without any threat to them or their business.

“The comments by Tinubu, to say the least, is immature and totally unexpected of a person of his advanced age. That is an insult to the government and people of the state, and we demand an apology.

“Emmanuel was duly elected as governor of Akwa Ibom State and, therefore, it is clearly not presidential and undemocratic, for Tinubu to say that he ‘calls himself governor’.”

He urged Tinubu to devote his energy to answering questions about his nebulous history and his amorphous manifestos and stop abusing innocent people.

The government advised citizens of the state to ignore the vituperations of Tinubu and continue to co-exist peacefully with all Nigerians who are living and doing legitimate businesses in our state.