…berates APC, PDP presidential candidates for making unguarded statements aimed at discrediting Obi
Regular insults which have now become his trademark. He has not spared the current Vice President whom he directed to go and sell ice cream, nor the former Vice President whom he described as a pure water seller, a noble venture which serves the populace better than a certain white substance.
By Ife Osemedua
365Daily – In a swipe at the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s presidential candidate, Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Labour Party (LP)’s vice president candidate, Sen. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has stated that it is noble to be a pure water seller than that of a certain ‘white substance’.
There have been allegations that Tinubu was involved in drug trade when he was younger in the United States before he relocated to Nigeria to run for the governorship of Lagos State.
He said this on December 1, 2022, in Abuja, during a press conference where he condemned the resort to derogatory statements, disinformation and misinformation by the candidate and vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Sen. Kashim Shettima, as well as that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Baba-Ahmed warned that their utterances were breaches of the Peace Accord they signed in September 2022, and at variance with the oath of office they undertook.
The former Senator, while referring to Sen. Shettima, noted that regular insults have now become his trademark, with the current Vice President, whom he directed to go and sell ice cream, not spared, nor the former Vice President, whom he described as a pure water seller.
He added that selling pure water is ”a noble venture which serves the populace better than a certain white substance.”
In his words: ”In the squabble for second and third positions, some erstwhile major political parties appear to have crossed the boundaries of decency to transgress our peaceful activities and our focus on political schedules.
”On the 29th September 2022, an eminent group of statesmen under the aegis of the National Peace Committee, brought together all the Presidential Candidates to sign a Peace Accord, which represents an agreed code of conduct for the 2023 Presidential Elections.
”It is unfortunate that despite the noble objectives of this initiative, disinformation and misinformation about the Labour Party and its candidates have become fashionable in this election season.
”Recently, for example there was a false narrative been spread nationwide that Mr Peter Obi is against the production of oil in the north; nothing could be farther from the truth.
”Peter Obi has repeatedly stated at various local and international fora that the greatest physical asset of Nigeria is the vast rich land in the North, and declared his commitment as a visionary transformative leader to exploit same for the overwhelming benefit of the Nigerian people. To the architect of ‘’consumption to production’, oil in the North means more revenue for development, more jobs and opportunities.
”Earlier attempts to discredit the Obi’s candidacy through fabricated allegations of demolition of mosques, internal deportation of Northerners, issuance of ID cards to northerners, and ethic hostilities were all conclusively proven to be false and without basis.
”As if those were not enough, just a few days ago, the presidential candidate of the APC speaking in Delta State, and referring to our presidential candidate, said that it was a disgrace to mention his name. While our candidate is quite comfortable with not being mentioned, it is most unpresidential, indecorous and disrespectful from the candidate who claims his turn at Nigerian Presidency.
”APCs strategy against Peter Obi now appears very clearly centred on promoting falsehood, in addition to empty and derogatory personal attacks, and of course this is because they can find no contentious points of negativity to push.
”Little wonder that their Vice Presidential candidate has consistently put to shame the noble heritage of the great Bornu Empire, in his unguarded and uncultured public pronouncements, which expose his intellectual laziness and discomfort with empirical facts and arguments. Regular insults which have now become his trademark, have not spared the current Vice President whom he directed to go and sell ice cream, nor the former Vice President whom he described as a pure water seller, a noble venture which serves the populace better than a certain white substance.
”It is pertinent to recall how Mr. Shettima at a recent public event belittled Atiku Abubakar’s educational qualification as well as the modest lifestyle of Peter Obi. Clearly Mr. Shettima is out of touch with reality and cannot understand that people like Peter Obi who have reached the heights in business and material achievement have long transcended the need for ostentatious display of wealth.
”We congratulate Mr. Shettima on having improved his dressing, but equally remind him that he needs to improve on his public composure and discipline in communication. Shettima is called upon to speak kindly and more responsibly about all personalities if only to uphold long-established standards.
”We cannot also forget his disposition and uncooperative attitude when hundreds of schoolgirls were abducted under his watch as governor in 2014 where he did little to secure them in the first place or facilitate their rapid rescue; a Governor under who education was sustained as ‘forbidden’. The circumstances of his emergence as a Candidate in 2011 leaves yet many questions unanswered.
”Others are not left out; It is important to underline that Oaths of office do not expire with tenure, and hence the comment that the Northern electorate do not need a Yoruba or Igbo leader is greatly at variance with the oaths of office taken in 1999 and 2003 respectively, and the Peace Accord of 2022. This is to call upon the owner of the statement to respectfully retract same in order to be readmitted to the honour list of esteemed presidential candidates. Truth of the matter is that every Nigerian from anywhere needs a credible and competent President. Simple.”
Moving to other issues, he condemned the torching of offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He also urged INEC to clearly address the nation on how it intends to handle the challenge of conducting elections in areas designated by security agencies as ungoverned spaces which contain legally delineated polling units.
Similarly, he lamented frequent attacks on ”Labour Party Offices, meetings and our members in parts of the country.”
”Just a couple of days ago, Mrs. Victoria Chintex, our vibrant and able Women Leader in Kaura LG of Kaduna State was assassinated while members of her family escaped with injuries. Senseless killings have gone on for too long. We call on government within time left to at least make attempts at fulfilling its 2015 promise of securing lives and property, while serving justice to the killers,” he said, before calling for a moment of silence ”in remembrance of her and indeed all victims all over the country.”
Baba-Ahmed went further to call for the immediate release of Aminu Mohammed, a final-year student of the Federal University, Dutse, who was allegedly arrested, beaten and detained by the Police over an alleged social media post, about the person of the First Lady.
”We wish to remind the Buhari State House that they rode to power on the personal denigration of their opponents and empty promises without slightest clues of good governance. Individuals must be free to express themselves freely and any infraction of law be pursued as civil matter and not through high-handed abuse of power. This is not 1984. We lend our voice to the genuine calls for his immediate release,” he stated.
The Labour Party Vice Presidential Candidate called on security agencies to be alive to their responsibilities, saying, ”2023 Elections will be different as Nigerian Electorate are increasingly becoming aware of the dangers of ethnic and religious politics; a fact that causing anxiety, frustration, and desperation with political actors of the old order. Consequently these attacks against us are only likely to increase.”
While thanking all supporters of the Party, he urged all who have not yet collected their PVCs, to do so without delay, and to follow through, to identify their polling booths, vote, and defend their votes.