The vituperative utterances and tantrums of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu against President Muhammadu Buhari and others have elicited reactions from the Northern part of the country.
The latest being a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and strong member of Tinubu Campaign Organization, Mr Babachir Lawal, who described Tinubu’s claims of “installing” Buhari in 2015 as bullshit.
“Now all these comments about Bola’s Yoruba presidency and his support of Buhari without which Buhari would not have been president is bullshit,” he said, declaring that the vilification of Buhari has jeopardised Tinubu’s chances in the North.
Persecondnews had reported that Tinubu, former Lagos State governor and one of the leading aspirants for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had ridiculed and blasted Buhari while addressing party delegates at the Presidential Lodge in Abeokuta, the Ogun capital on Thursday.
A visibly angry Tinubu had said Buhari should reward him with the party ticket as he noted that he played a pivotal role in ensuring that the latter emerged the APC candidate in 2014 and ultimately winning the 2015 polls after he lost three elections in a row.
Tinubu also said he handpicked Vice- President Yemi Osinbajo as running mate to President Buhari and made Mr Dapo Abiodun Ogun governor in 2019.
He also denigrated and lampooned Gov. Abiodun for supporting Osinbajo, his kinsman, against his presidential aspiration, referring to the governor derogatorily in Yoruba as “eleyi” (this one sitting behind me).
“Without me can he become governor? They tore his posters at the MKO Abiola stadium, Abeokuta in 2018 and they did not want to give him the party flag. I stood and gave him the flag,” Tinubu, livid with rage had said.
But Lawal, expressing strong reservations about the outbursts of Tinubu, said in a statement:” Tinubu’s outburst is already been perceived in the North as a personal attack on President Buhari and could undermine his chances of winning Monday’s Presidential Convention.
“Sometimes it is very difficult to support a Yoruba person in national politics if you are not one.
“They have a way of making you regret your support because they eventually make you seem like a traitor to your own people.
“Now all these comments about Bola’s Yoruba presidency and his support of Buhari without which Buhari would not have been president is bullshit.
“He wasn’t the only one whose support made a difference. There were many others from all around the country and they are not bragging about it.
“You may wish to know that all of us Buhari supporters are shocked and pissed off by Bola’s speech on this occasion. It is unlike him.
“And this speech is massively trending in the North and being given a negative connotation as you can well imagine.
“I first read it this morning on an Adamawa group platform and the anger is palpable and all around.
“Will Tinubu win Monday’s APC primaries without Northern support?
“You would think Yorubas will resist the temptation of joining in the northerners-bashing game at this very critical time – the primary election is only three days away.”
Describing the whole saga as disheartening and unsuccessful, Lawal also said: “It is unfortunate that Bola himself chose to join in this bashing game – choosing to speak in the Yoruba language and in Yoruba land in a manner that seems to denigrate Buhari.
“I could vividly imagine the discomfort of all the northerners (Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje and others) sitting beside him on that podium.”
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