APC vs PDP: Kaduna’s Slips Earn Atiku, Tinubu New Names, Threaten Candidates’ Aspiration
- Many controversies have begun to take shape ahead of the forthcoming 2023 general elections
- Kaduna state became the talk of the town when it hosted three of the major frontrunners gunning for the number administrative seat in Nigeria
- However, the gist got even more controversial and spotlighting when two of the major candidates began to goof in their utterances
Controversies have continued to trail the various recent comments by top Nigerian presidential aspirants in the coming 2023 elections.
Most of the controversial comments still eliciting reactions came down in Kaduna during an interactive session with the Arewa Townhall Policy Dialogue in Kaduna.
Source: UGC
The top presidential candidates in the coming election were in Kaduna for the Townhall dialogue and to respond to sundry issues, especially with regard to their aspirations.
But Atiku and Tinubu made the headlines due to their controversial comments.
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Recall that Atiku and Tinubu, while fielding questions had answered differently in a controversial manner.
Atiku’s alleged divisive comments
Atiku believing that Northerners deserve a northern president, charged the north to vote for their own which is him.
Atiku, a former vice president said:
“I have traversed the whole of this country,” Atiku, who is from Adamawa in Nigeria’s North-East region, said on Saturday.
“I know the whole of this country. I have built bridges across this country. I think what the average northerner needs is somebody who is from the north, who also understands the other parts of Nigeria, and who has been able to build bridges across the rest of the country.
“This is what the northerner needs. He (the northerner) doesn’t need a Yoruba”
APC, Tinubu attack Atiku
The All Progressives Congress, APC, like many other Nigerians, including the presidential candidate of the party, was quick to react to Atiku’s comment tagging it divisive.
According to Tinubu’s campaign spokesperson, Femi Fani Kayode in a statement, Atiku is “a dying breed who still sees things from a regional, ethnic and religious prism.”
FFK said the nation will not accept an ethnic bigot and tribal champion as their president, hence must reject Atiku. He said that the former Vice President does not speak for the North but for himself, blind PDP supporters, and his PCC.
Similarly, the director of Media & Publicity of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga, said Atiku’s public statement presents him as an ethnic and regional champion, noting that it’s unfortunate that a man who was once the Vice-President of Nigeria could make such a statement.
Tinubu’s offensive comments
On the other hand, the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu sent a veiled message to Nigerian Christians opposing his aspiration over the Muslim-Muslim ticket adopted by his party when instead of reacting directly to a question, chose to paint an analogy using the Christian Holy Communion and Church rats.
On the part of Tinubu, while reacting to the issue of global warming, he described the situation as “a question of how do you prevent a church rat from eating poisoned holy communion”.
“We are a poor nation. They say firewood is not for fetching. They say we need to plant more trees and they are not giving us money.
“We need to tell the west, if you don’t guarantee our finances and work with us to stop this, we are not going to comply with your climate change”, Tinubu said.
Earlier, Tinubu had misfired and answered a question out of context when he said El-rufai had:
“Turned a rotten situation to a bad one”.
PDP, Atiku fire back at Tinubu
Though the party has said the statement was a mere slip of the tongue, the PDP did not waste time in taking advantage of the statement, saying it was a big slap on the face of El-Rufai.
Phrank Shaibu, an aide to Atiku Abubakar said the blunder by Tinubu points to the fact that he cannot withstand the rigors of office.
Shaibu, a special assistant to Atiku on communication, said Tinubu is “tired and weak” and should withdraw from the race as becoming Nigeria’s president is not a do-or-die matter.
“When you look at the APC presidential candidate, you will see someone that is tired and weak,” he said.
Also firing at Tinubu was the spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign, Daniel Bwala. Bwala took on Tinubu for referring to the Church’s Holy Communion and Church rat while painting an analogy. According to Bwala:
“He was totally out of context on the church rat comment. It was offensive. It would have been better for him to give a metaphor that resonated with the people.
“But in terms of contextual interpretation…the international conference on climate change is looking at a balance.
“The one point-something emission limit that you are talking about is insofar as it relates to advanced countries.
“So you cannot join that with what Asiwaju said. It’s completely totally out of order.”
Defending further Atiku’s statement, Anthony Ehilebo, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, head of New Media, told Legit.ng that Atiku’s statement was taken out of context, tagging it a mischievous revision and an attempt to immune the integrity of his ethos as a pan-Nigerian.
Source: Legit.ng
Adoyi Ali Ali Adoyi is a prolific writer and a graduate of the Benue State University, Makurdi, Benue State. Adoyi holds a B.A Theatre and Communications Arts. He has bagged many awards both in academics and in journalism. Some of the awards are 10 years Journalism Merit Award, Best graduating student (Dept) Most Outstanding student (Faculty), and others. Adoyi can be reached here: adoyi.ali@corp.legit.ng
Segun Adeyemi (Current Affairs and Politics Editor) Segun Adeyemi is a journalist with over 9 years of experience as an active field reporter, editor, and editorial manager. He has had stints with Daily Trust newspaper, Daily Nigerian, and News Digest. He currently works as an editor for Legit.ng's current affairs and politics desk. He holds a degree in Mass Communication (Adekunle Ajasin University). He is a certified digital reporter by Reuters, AFP and the co-convener of the annual campus journalism awards. Email: segun.adeyemi@corp.legit.ng.
