The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, slammed former President Olusegun Obasanjo for his endorsement of Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25 presidential poll.
Tinubu spoke at a rally held at the University of Benin Sports Complex in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor, said Obasanjo is “jealous” of his achievements, adding that the “the blind” cannot lead “the blind”.
He also said the former President’s endorsement of Obi won’t work or make any difference in the outcome of the election in the next couple of weeks.
Tinubu recalled that as Lagos governor from 1999 to 2007, whilst Obasanjo was President, he “punished” him and millions of residents of Lagos by allegedly withholding local government funds that belonged to the nation’s commercial nerve centre.
Tinubu also accused Obasanjo and his then Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, who is now the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), of corruption.
Tinubu alleged that both Obasanjo and Atiku seized the Federal Government’s allocation to Lagos and used “Nigeria’s funds” to buy cars for their girlfriends through shady privatisation scheme.
“Can that man recommend a leader for you in Nigeria? Is that not sending an agent to pick your pocket?” Tinubu asked thousands of APC supporters at the rally.
“A blind leading the blind. I am sorry I am not insulting visually impaired people. But it won’t work, they will end up in the ditch. If I talk about Obasanjo and Obi…one who doesn’t know the way cannot show the way,” the APC candidate said.
The APC presidential candidate also said he would make Edo an economic hub if elected, adding he knew what to do to create jobs and ensure steady power supply.
He appealed to the Edo electorate to vote for him and assured that he would bring prosperity, create jobs and secure Nigerians when elected.
“I know how to perform. I did it in Lagos State and I will do it in Nigeria.
“I will make Edo an economic hub, train the youths in skills acquisition and empower small scale industries.
Edo Yahoo Boys
“We will turn this state to an energy state. Turn the so-called yahoo boys to experts in manufacturing and creation of chips. We will bring long-term reforms.
“We can break the shackles of poverty, shackles of ignorance, and shackles of homelessness. We will do it together.
“We have the knowledge and the brain; trust me. I am an expert in finding the way where there is no way.
“If you want prosperity, elect me. If you want skills to become rich, elect me. If you want security, elect me. If you say I should retire, you will retire knowledge, diamond and gold,’’ the presidential candidate said.
In his remarks, Adams Oshiomhole, former National Chairman of the APC also solicited votes from Edo residents for his party.
Oshiomhole said the former Lagos State governor had good track record and should be voted into office.
He stressed that Tinubu was instrumental to winning the fight against a single-party system in Nigeria.
