The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has further given reason why he refused to attend the TownHall. Meeting organised by Arise TV.
The former Lagos Governor spoke at the Chatham House lecture titled: ‘Nigeria’s 2023 elections: In conversation with Bola Ahmed Tinubu’.
He said: “You want to wrestle with the pig, you need to live with dirt, I got into politics knowing that it is a muddy water, one has to live with the dirt.
“I see myself as a marketeable individual. They want to use me to make money, and I say no.”
Tinubu tried to lay to rest speculations about his personal records and history.
He said his records are there for people to see.
“At the time of birth, I was born march 29, 1952 in the family record.
“I’ve good exposure in life, my record is consistent. For the school and university I attended, the records are there. The transcript is also there.
“I’m not claiming another father, I am Tinubu and Tinubu proper. If they want a DNA, they can do that. Deloitte, Chicago State University where I graduated, has confirmed all confirmed.
“I’ve received certificates from them. Deloitte trained me, Mobil Oil has also attested to my record. I got to the pinnacle of my career. Who among them can brag about that?
Highlight of the conversation was when he dodged some questions and instead asked Gbaja, Sanwo-Olu, other surrogates to take questions on how to govern Nigeria
Tinubu said he was delegating the questions to his surrogates as a demonstration of his belief in “teamship”.
Tinubu assigned the question on oil theft to one of his campaign spokespersons, Dele Alake; the question on security he assigned to Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna; and the question on youth development and inclusion to Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River.
Also, a former commissioner of finance in Lagos, Wale Edun, was asked to answer the question on job creation; current House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila answered question on defence, and incumbent Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, took the question on youth inclusion in politics and governance.
The APC presidential candidate excused his failure to answer questions as a demonstration of his “philosophies and doctrines that I believe in. It’s teamship. Unbreakable team,” adding that “To demonstrate that, I will choose the first question, assigned to Dele Alake, the second question assigned to Nasir Elrufai, and the third question assign to Ben Ayade.”
While Tinubu claimed to boycott the questions to demonstrate his belief in “teamship,” his repeated incoherence and loss of awareness at public functions suggest a different perspective to his unexpected abstinence from questions.
Tinubu’s aides have shielded him from public debates and live press briefings in an effort to limit the gaffes that come with his participation at public gatherings showing his weak condition, which several commentators have denounced as un-presidential.
We’re not responsible for attacks on INEC offices in Imo – IPOB
The leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has denied involvement in the recent attacks on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Owerri Imo State.
It said on Monday in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, that it has never supported or get involved in any election obstruction or violence in Nigeria.
It said that the only action it could take was to call on Ndigbo to boycott the election if the need arises.
The statement reads: “Neither IPOB nor ESN operatives have anything to do with Nigeria fraud elections in 2023. We have never supported nor involved ourselves in any election obstruction or violence as a movement. The only action we can take is to call our people to boycott voting if the need arises. But as of today, IPOB is not interested in Nigeria and its electoral activities and has never asked anyone to carry out any attack on our behalf.