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| Asiwaju Bola Tinubu |
Chieftain of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and former Governor of Lagos state, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu , has taken a swipe at the recent statement credited to President Goodluck Jonathan that the South West was too sophisticated and too educated to be left in the hands of radicals, saying such statement was uncouth.
Fielding questions from newsmen at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos Tuesday, Tinubu, when asked what he thought about the statement remarked , “I think the President is wrong because that is an insult to our parents. You don’t come to this land, seek our votes and then insult our parents that they raised rascals.”
The former Governor also denied any rift with the presidential candidate of his party, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, saying the allegation that he was fighting with the former chairman of Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) was not true and accused journalists who reported the story of practicing “isiewu journalism”.
“They (reporters) want a conflict but they cannot create a conflict or crisis where one does not exist. It is most unfortunate that today journalism reporting is taking another tone. It is just the kind of ‘isi ewu’ reporting. I’m no longer surprised about all of them; they are just speculations and imaginations of somebody being very, very cunningly creative.”
When asked whether the ManagingDdirector of World Bank, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iwuala, is a candidate of ACN, Tinubu waived the question and lauded the former Minister of Finance, remarking that she might even be inclined to take up political office, considering her engagements as World Bank top official.
“She is a very qualified individual and she is an asset; she is an asset to the nation, an asset to Africa and international community, no doubt about that. But you don’t know whether she is even free now. She will be ready to serve her fatherland as a patriotic citizen who is ready to serve her at any capacity and she will be willing.
“We have so much to gain from her, intellectually, in her character and professionally and for our reputation all over the world, so it doesn’t mean that she will serve the country better as a running mate to anybody. If she is to serve again as she once served as a minister, then she should be ready to serve the country. A patriotic citizen must be ready to sacrifice for his or her nation.”
The former Governor said ACN may not merge with any other party because it could go it alone, adding that his party is the party with promise and hope, insisting that Nigerians are tired of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“Nigeria needs a re-making. Now we are fifty years and above and every time every year, the discussion is on potential, discuss expectations. Is the hope of Nigeria not dashed by a party that has
been in power for the past twelve years and making promises, unfulfilled promises characterized with same crises all over and fake and empty promises. There are over 20 million unemployed Nigerian
graduates; several millions of unskilled labour; year after year you run a deficit budget. What is the ratio of the capital and recurrent expenditure that are set aside for developmental projects?”
Criticizing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for non-performance, Tinubu sought to know “What values that Nigerians are benefitting from this shattered umbrella and shattered hope? We have two aspects of the idea; one is that you need a thinker and a doer because it is not everybody that can steer the ship of a nation, not everybody can chart a new course
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