The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday, in a jab directed at the government, alleged plot by some ‘powers-that-be’ to sabotage his chances at the polls through the fuel scarcity and naira redesign policy.
In a speech reminiscing his famous Emilokan address at Abeokuta, Ogun State, days leading to the presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tinubu, again, returned to Abeokuta for his presidential campaign, where he dropped the bombshell that the fuel crisis and the scarcity of the newly redesigned naira notes were artificially created to discourage people from voting for the ruling party.
President Muhammadu Buhari is the current Minister of Petroleum and Nigerians have been lamenting the scarcity of fuel that have since seen the price fluctuating between N185 to N600 per litre across the country.
The Abeokuta salvo came a day after President Buhari constituted a 14-member committee to address petrol supply and distribution challenges.
Considering that the candidate’s party is currently in power and runs the affairs of the country, there are concerns about the allegation and indirect affirmation of concerns by Nigerians about the state of the economy. The APC government has struggled to keep the economy running in the last six month, leaving serious issues and debts for the next administration.
Whoever wins the election, has to contend with the issue of subsidy, which is currently draining the purse of the nation, despite being inefficient.
The APC presidential candidate called on the people to remain resolute and resist any attempt by anyone to stop the election from holding.
Tinubu said: “We will use our PVCs to take over the government from them, if they like, let them say there is no fuel, we will trek there. They are full of mischief, they want to create fuel crisis, they have started creating fuel crisis, but forget about it, put your mind at rest, I’m assuring you, I, Asiwaju will end fuel scarcity.
“Let the price of fuel continue to increase, they are the ones that know where they are hoarding it. They are hoarding naira notes, they are hoarding fuel, we will vote and we will win.
“If they like, they can change the ink in the naira note, we will shock them, we will win the election; the opposition (the umbrella party) will be defeated.
“I’m a youth, I’m here for you and you will not be put to shame. We will take over the government from them; they are traitors that want to wrest the government from us.
“This is a revolution, this election is a revolution. They are creating artificial fuel scarcity, they are saying they want to increase fuel price to N200, but let your mind be at rest, we will end fuel scarcity, we will end fuel crisis. They don’t want this election to be held, they want to scuttle the election, will you allow them?
“They think they can create problems; they are sabotaging fuel. Whether there is fuel or not, we will go and vote and we will win. This is a superior revolution and when I tell you, you know what I mean, you know me, we are going to go there and win,” Tinubu said, addressing the crowd partly in Yoruba language.
Tinubu, therefore, charged Nigerians not to allow the fuel scarcity to dampen their spirits against exercising their civic responsibility, particularly at voting for his party to victory in the elections.
Reacting, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, said his APC counterpart has become frustrated by his inability to stop the cashless policy and currency redesign of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that will curb vote buying and enhance the credibility of next month’s election.
Atiku, who spoke through his Special Assistant, Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said: “The Holy Bible says in Proverbs 28: 1 that ‘the wicked runs when no one is chasing them, but an honest person is as brave as a lion.’
“Even though the CBN policy affects all 18 political parties, Tinubu is the only one frustrated because his plan to deploy bullion vans and bribe poor voters and security agents on the day of election has failed woefully.”
He recalled that on the eve of the 2019 presidential election, two cash-laden bullion vans were pictured entering Tinubu’s premises located on 26, Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi. “Several petitions were written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) but nothing was done.
“Tinubu, frustrated by President Buhari’s unwillingness to attend some of his insipid rallies, launched an attack against the President who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum. For a man who claimed to have singlehandedly made Buhari president, it is funny that he is now running from pillar to post all in a bid to save what is left of his failed campaign.”
Also, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has told Tinubu to stop going to Abeokuta. In the buildup to his party’s presidential primary, Tinubu went into a tirade, calling out those he perceived were standing in his way, including Governor Dapo Abiodun.
‘Emilokan’, ‘O lule’, which have since found their way to the Nigerian political lexicon, were used by Tinubu in Abeokuta.
Speaking through Diran Onifade, Head of Media, Obi/Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Obi said Tinubu’s advisers should tell him to stop going to Abeokuta.
“If I were to be Tinubu’s adviser, I would have advised him to stop going to Abeokuta. It was in the same Abeokuta that he made the gaffe of ‘Olule’ and how President Muhammadu Buhari was crying on TV, ’Emilokan’ and all that.
“Now, he (Tinubu) is saying the fuel scarcity is meant to make the elections fail and how they are going to take over power from them. Who are they or them? He could have been talking to the CBN governor (Godwin Emefiele) and the Minister of Petroleum, who is President Buhari. The same man that Tinubu has been campaigning that he wants to take over from and continue his good work.”
