A Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the National Coordinator of Disciples of Jagaban (DOJ), Abdulhakeem Adegoke Alawuje, has berated the presidential candidates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and that of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, saying they are far away from political sagacity, as well as lack the capacities and capabilities to match that of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement on Friday, Alawuje said while Nigeria truly needed a strong opposition to effectively put the ruling party on its toes, the two major political parties under PDP and LP cannot stand as or provide a credible opposition to either the ruling party or the President.
According to the APC chieftain, “Unfortunately, the two major contestants lack everything needed to either understand, define or relate with the present political realities. They do not know and they don’t want to learn.
“If they had critically assessed themselves before the general election, they would have long withdrawn from the race and restrategise against the future. Contrarily, both of them took different dangerous ways to win the election in a brazen Machiarvelian version. One of them rode on the horse of Christian votes and the other hid under the mantra of “North needs more time to rule”.
“But Nigerians this time are more circumspect. The citizens scrutinized their deliverables and realized none of them had ever added any value to what they had done in the past. The discerning youths in religion and the ethnic circles were left with no other choice than to vote against them in the election.
“Obi has never been known as a serious Contender just as Atiku had no legacy project for the benefit of the North which he could boast of in order to win the heart of the North and consequently coast home to victory with majority vote.
“It was only Tinubu whose credentials and legacies were able to convince Nigerians. Tinubu had supported the Northern candidates several times. He provided platforms for Atiku and Nuhu Ribadu to vie for presidency and wholeheartedly gave former President Muhammadu Buhari the structure and support to attain the highest position in the land.
“DOJ is thus calling on other politicians to take a cue from Asiwaju and start making and banking records for future purposes. Nigerians have suffered enough for anyone to believe he can manipulate us with either religion or ethnicity.
“DOJ has selflessly worked day and night for the realisation of Nigeria of our dream from 2019 to date without seeking or getting any support from Tinubu or any politician from the beginning of the campaign to the end.
“We actually launched our campaign from Kano Tourism Camp in 2019, at a time when no political group in the country has commenced electioneering campaign. Before the Middle of 2020, we have accommodated hundreds of groups that agreed to work with us. Now we thank Almighty God for having more than five hundred groups working for the same political hero of our generation.
“Asiwaju is an Almighty God’s project He is a divine project. Tinubu is neither a religious candidate nor a product of an ethnic manipulation. He was the only major candidate/contestant that stood for election in 2023.
“We therefore thank God that our dream has indeed come to pass. It is our belief that Atiku and Obi supporters have learned their lessons, albeit, the hard way, – that Nigeria has gone beyond using sentiments to manipulate voters for whatever we want for ourselves”.
“It’s time the Nigerian youths and the masses determine what they want and doggedly pursue what they need, we need President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, including those who did not vote him. We should all realise that it is normal to witness a very rough beginning to have a good end.”