By Uche Amunike
An aide to the PDP Presidential flag bearer, Atiku Abubakar, has said that the recent blunder by the APC presidential candidate, Ashiwaju Bola Tinubu, where he said that the commented that the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, will ‘turned a rotten situation to a bad one’ is an indication that the APC Presidential candidate needs to stay out of the 2023 election and get some much needed rest.
Speaking, through a statement signed by the Special Assistant to Atiku Abubakar, Phrank Shuaibu, he noted that Bola Tinubu was ‘tired and weak’ and should stop trying to become president at all costs.
Hear him: ‘When you look at the APC presidential candidate, you will see someone that is tired and weak’.
‘You have also heard the many gaffes that have come from him even before the kick-off of campaigns. The Kaduna comment is one gaffe too many, and therefore unpardonable. You don’t have to be president at all costs; when you are tired, you go home.’
‘Nigeria is currently in a dire situation with every sector of the economy in deep decay. Therefore, the nation cannot afford to hand over a sick nation to a sick president.’
‘This country deserves a fit leader. The office of the president is not for ailing people. Tinubu has tried his best but he is now weak and tired and should be allowed to go home and take a deserved rest.’
On the part of Bola Tinubu’s camp, the Director of Media and Publicity of the APC, Mr Onanuga, stated that the offending comments was a slip of the tongue.
He made the comment while giving a speech at the 7th Edition of the Kaduna Economic and Investment Summit, Saturday. He also said that he was confident about winning the election, come 2023 and asked Governor El-Rufai to forfeit any plans he had about retiring from public service after serving in the state as governor.
It was at that point that he made the offending speech about El-Rufai‘turning a rotten situation into a bad one’.
His words: ‘I am openly begging Nasir El-Rufai not to run away for additional degree and excuse. He is going to Cairo—PhD and everything. There are a lot of educated relics. We are not going to let you run away, your vision, creativity and resilience in turning a rotten situation into a bad one are necessary at this critical time. That is why we are here today,’ he said.
Rival political parties and their supporters have criticized Bola Tinubuever since, owing to that comment.
Onanuga has however stated that the mischief makers and political opponents would not have paid much attention to the comment, were this not a political period, reiterating that it was mainly a slip of the tongue.
He said: ‘Earlier today (Saturday) at the Kaduna State Investment Summit, All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu while commending, Governor Nasir El-Rufai for his transformational leadership in the state had a slip of the tongue that is common to every human being and even great leaders.’
‘The APC leader inadvertently said Governor El-Rufai “turned a rotten situation” he met on the ground in Kaduna into “a bad one” whereas he meant to say “to a great one.’
‘It was a mere slip, that is not unusual in life, even among leaders of nations.’
‘We recognise we are in a political season where everything is latched on for deliberate distortion and twisted mischief.’
‘While mischief makers went so low, we noted that the audience at KadInvest 7.0 followed Asiwaju Tinubu with rapt attention and knew he only had a slip.’
‘We can only tell mischief makers to look for better and productive things to do with their time,’ he concluded.
