•Says North not happy
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and strong member of Bola Ahmed Tinubu Campaign Organization, Engineer Babachir Lawal has expressed strong reservations about the outbursts of former Lagos State governor and one of the leading aspirants for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Tinubu while addressing the party faithful in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital has said President Muhammadu 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 general elections.
Tinubu also said he handpicked the incumbent Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo as running mate to President Buhari.
The former SGF in a statement said 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.
Engineer Lawan who said Tinubu “wasn’t the only one whose support made a difference,” said he was worried that the remarks attributed to the former Lagos State governor at the Abeokuta meeting with delegates which he maintained were the vilification of Buhari has jeopardised his chances.
He said:” 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. 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 sitting beside him on that podium.
“This appears to be the Abiola saga being replayed. Abiola won the election with majority Northern votes but they took the brunt of the post-election protests that followed.
“Just survey all the people that are doing more meaningful practical things to enthroned Bola as president and you will find that almost all are northerners while his kinsmen engage themselves in social media activism and Northern bashing.
“When Yorubas vilify the North like this, our sense of fear and insecurity under a Yoruba presidency gets heightened and in the end, pushes us to rethink our support for not only Bola but any Yoruba as president for that matter.
“Please, do not join our opponents to destroy our chances of clinching Monday’s primary elections.”
Asked by a Tribune correspondent if he was considering withdrawing his support for Tinubu, the former SGF said he remained with the campaign team but needed to sound a note of warning to those he called “Bola’s Yoruba supporters.
“I did not withdraw my support. In fact, I reiterated it. I just warned Bola’s Yoruba supporters not to alienate our Northern supporters by attacking the President and Northerners which they are currently doing like the speech he made in Abeokuta yesterday.
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