By Uche Amunike
The presidential flag bearer of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has made mockery of his opponent in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, describing him as weary and frustrated, while further advising him to step down from the race so as to avoid a disgraceful defeat at the oncoming poll.
Tinubu made this assertion, Monday, through a statement released by the Chief Spokesperson of the APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) and Director, Public Affairs, Barrister Festus Keyamo SAN, in Abuja.
While Keyamo, who also doubles as Minister of State, Labour and Employment, fielded questions from Newsmen, he reacted to comments allegedly made by Atiku Abubakar about Tinubu, not developing Lagos during his time as governor.
Hear him: ‘At the scandalously scanty PDP campaign rally today in Lagos State, the candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar decided to take the ignoble path of bare-faced lies by telling the people of Lagos State that the APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not develop Lagos State, but rather the Federal Government did’.
He asserted that even though Atiku Abubakar conspired to seize the funds of the people of Lagos State, when he was Vice President, Bola Tinubu came to the rescue by performing wonders as the governor and substantially as Leader of the ruling party of Lagos State.
His words: ‘the people of Lagos State would not have allowed Atiku Abubakar to step on the soil of Lagos State because of that ignoble role his government played to attempt to destroy Lagos, but thanks to Asiwaju, today Lagos is a peaceful place and a home for all, hence he could still come to Lagos to spew such lies to the people of Lagos State’.
‘Let us remind Atiku Abubakar that after the Federal Government exited Lagos after the Orkar coup of 1990, the Federal Government left the infrastructure in Lagos to deteriorate whilst concentrating on developing Abuja. It was after Asiwaju assumed office in 1999 that he began to revive and rebuild the infrastructure in Lagos State. A clear example is the Bar Beach the FG could not contain in all their years in Lagos State. It was during the tenure of Tinubu that the idea for the Eko Atlantic was conceived and planned and the continuation of the project proceeded unhindered under Fashola who has himself acknowledged the making of it to Tinubu.’
‘Others are the various high-calibre roads constructed by Tinubu like the Kudirat Abiola Road; Awolowo Road, Ikoyi; Akin Adesola Rd, VI; Adeola Odeku Rd, VI; Agege Motor Road; Ikotun-Igando Rd; Yaba-Itire-Lawanson-Ojuelegba Rd; LASU-IBA Rd; Ajah-Badore Rd; Oba Sekumade Rd, Ikorodu; Bourdillon-Gerald Rd; Lekki Expressway; Adetokunbo Ademola Rd, etc.’
‘Agencies like LAWMA, HIGHWAY MANAGERS, LASTMA, KAI, CBD, LAGBUS, LASEPA, LASAMBUS etc were all launched to develop different sectors. These are verifiable facts.’
‘It is obvious Atiku Abubakar and the PDP have their backs against the wall with the rebellion to and shunning of his campaign by key Governors and stakeholders in his party that has made him battle weary. Atiku Abubakar is already showing signs of frustration.’
‘We advise Atiku Abubakar to pack up his campaign to save his face rather than face the imminent disgrace at the polls’, he maintained.
