President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerian Senate President Ahmad Lawan on Monday in Gombe State called for votes for All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Bola Tinubu.
Messrs Buhari, Lawan, some APC governors and the party’s national chairman Abdullahi Adamu were in Gombe to attend the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in the state.
Mr. Buhari reaffirmed his support for Mr. Tinubu and his running mate Kashim Shettima, urging Nigerians to elect the APC standard bearer by February 25.
He said that suggestions that he was not supporting Tinubu were untrue, adding that he would continue to work for Tinubu’s victory to ensure the APC returns to power in 2023.
Represented by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, Mr. Buhari said that all the candidates put forward by APC for various elective positions across the country had his full support.
“I fully support all the candidates produced by my party and I also support the party’s presidential candidate 100 percent.
“So anyone who comes along and tells you otherwise is not telling the truth,” he said.
He listed several projects run by the federal government in Gombe State, including oil exploration, which he said was discovered about 40 years ago but not explored until the arrival of his administration.
He said his administration had implemented several projects in the state that had improved the welfare of citizens, adding that voting for Tinubu would help consolidate the achievements recorded so far.
For his part, Lawan said Mr. Tinubu and Mr. Shettima were competent enough to succeed President Buhari in 2023.
Lawan said that the northeast region of the country has benefited a lot from the APC-led government, hence the need to vote for the party to maintain the good governance he was enjoying under the party.
He said the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for 16 years left the Kolmani oil project unattended while Boko Haram and infrastructure challenges went unaddressed, leaving the people of the northeast to suffer.
He warned the electorate not to be fooled by the PPD, because “some candidates are saying that you have to vote for them because they are from the Northeast.
“However, they did nothing for the people of the northeast when they were in power until the arrival of APC.”
Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya said that APC had done a lot for Nigerians and Gombe State and deserved to return to power to protect the interests of Nigerians.
“Vote APC up and down; vote Tinubu, Shettima and Inuwa Yahaya for Gombe State and we will not disappoint your trust,” he said.
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Mr. Adamu said that APC would continue to fulfill its mandate to develop the country, so he urged the electorate in Gombe State to vote for all of the party’s candidates.
For his part, Tinubu, addressing a large crowd of supporters at the 12,000 capacity Pantami Township Stadium in Gombe, said that if elected, he would ensure Nigeria’s prosperity for the benefit of Nigerians.
He called on state voters to give him their votes and also vote for all APC candidates at all levels.
Mr. Tinubu, who was in Gombe to launch his Presidential Campaign Council, was accompanied by Mr. Shettima.
Other attendees included the CEO of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Governors Simon Lalong of Plateau, Mai-Mala Buni of Yobe; Babagana Zulum from Borno and Muhammad Badaru from Jigawa states.
(YAYA)