…ex-governor denies share of Lagos revenue
The Director, Strategic Communications of the National Election Management Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dele Momodu, Tuesday, chided the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, over what he called his less than impressive engagement with his audience at the Chatham House, United Kingdom, on Monday.
Momodu said chieftains of the APC were ‘window-dressing’ Tinubu on a global stage.
Tinubu’s performance has continued to draw mixed reactions, particularly from the opposition parties who were left unimpressed by the candidate’s decision to throw some of the questions he was asked to the APC chieftains including the Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi.
In a piece titled, “Weep not for Tinubu but Nigeria,’ Momodu slammed the handlers of the former Lagos state governor for causing the nation a huge embarrassment on a global stage.
“Call it what you will, what happened at Chatham House, London, yesterday (Monday), was a complete charade. The Tinubu handlers fumbled, and bungled it big time. They showcased him like a packaged invalid. It would have been better to present him as a brilliant politician and administrator, warts and all, who is capable of independent thoughts. No man is perfect. His gaffes would have been more pardonable and acceptable. He was expected to sell his own vision and mission.
“But what we saw yesterday was a theatre of the absurd. It brought back memories of our great former President Umaru Yar’ Adua and how he mysteriously disappeared from radar and some of his aides governed by proxy. I was one of those who led the ‘Enough is Enough’ protest against the Yar’ Adua cabal in Abuja in 2010. What was unacceptable then is even more unacceptable now with benefits of hindsight. Our country should be placed above friendship.
“Truth is, the problem of Nigeria is often aggravated by the voluptuous ambitions of some acolytes who wish to remain eternally relevant in the corridors of power at the expense of the long-suffering nation,” he said, adding that “all those around Tinubu yesterday (Monday) knew the bitter truth but chose to fool Nigerians.”
He continued, “One of them was heard in a viral video telling Tinubu to dance to the popular song ‘Buga’ by Kizz Daniel because “that’s what the youths want to see,” and lo and behold, Tinubu instantly transfigured into an accomplished choreographer.
“It is very sad, and unfortunate, that whenever we think Nigeria can never sink deeper into the abyss, something occurs that jolts us out of such assumptions and complacency.”
The PDP campaign spokesman recalled that seven years ago, incumbent Commander-in-Chief did a good job when he appeared at the same venue to engage with the global audience.
“I was with the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), the day he visited Chatham House seven years ago. He was solid and charismatic. He needed no one to prompt him. He answered questions eloquently and intelligently to the best of his abilities.
“That is what Tinubu was expected to accomplish yesterday (Monday). What he did instead was like inviting helpers to sit the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination. It is horrifying to watch some respected intellectuals like El-Rufai and Fayemi as they struggled to window dress Tinubu on a much hallowed global stage,” he lamented.
Meanwhile, Tinubu, has said there is no proof that he gets a share of the revenue generated by Lagos State which he once governed.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Africa, monitored by our correspondent on Tuesday, Tinubu stated that since he left office in 2007, he was yet to get any government appointment or contract.
He said those behind the allegation were only envious of him just as he revealed that he got his wealth through investments in real estates which he inherited and turned their values around.
On his campaign, he said, “Things are going very well. I’m very confident that this election will be free and fair. I’m the front runner and that is why I’m getting many arrows.”
Talking about his priorities if sworn in as President, he stressed on “security and economic recovery to accelerated development, to get Nigerians employed and get inflation down. You know, monetary policy needs to be changed. Subsidy needs to be decided upon and then removed.”
On what he would do about the insecurity in the country, Tinubu said it had reduced, just as he commended the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for that.
He said, “It’s reduced. I will defend him for that. Then, 17 local governments and about four states where we have flags of foreign jihadists in Nigeria. That is no more. That is long gone.
“To start a chaos is easy. To bring normalcy and redecorate is more difficult.
“Here we are, Buhari has degraded, but not completely eliminated ISWAP. They will talk briefly of lethal weapons, ammunitions and technological equipment that could have helped accelerated the clean up of those.
“The West is yet to feel comfortable enough with a Buhari administration to sell us the arms and technology necessary.”
Asked if things would be different with the West under his administration, Tinubu said, “It could change, it might not change. But we have to look at, you know, alternatives. And those are the mass recruitment of individuals in a volunteer army to really clean up.”
Asked why Nigerians should vote for him despite how they fell about the Buhari regime, he said, “Because I’m different. I’m Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I have governed Lagos. I built a modern state that could be a country on its own.
“I’ve led an administration that was so prudent, from N600 million internally generated revenue to N5 billion a month. That’s a record. Nobody else can brag about that.
“I’ve treated and tamed the Atlantic Ocean surge in Nigeria, that would have perished many people in Lagos. The infrastructural renewal in Lagos is excellent. I have continuity in Lagos.
“Buhari has done his best. I can’t run away from him being my friend, my leader in the party. I will not.”
The former governor was then asked if Nigerians had the right to know where their next president got his wealth.
“Are they enemies of wealth? If they are not enemies of wealth, investments do yield.
“I have an example of Warren Buffet. One of the richest in America and in the world. He started from stock buying and brokerages.
“I inherited great real estates. I turned the values around. I’m not denying my wealth. I’ve not been… I was the most investigated, the most accused governor in opposition up to, you know, for eight years and up to 2007.
“And since I left the office, I’m still there, I’ve not taken any government appointment, no government contract.”
On allegations that he was getting a share of the revenues Lagos was getting, he said, “Hey, excuse me, share, what? Have they proven it? The World Bank, (and) the International Monetary Fund have investigated the records in Lagos State. What’s wrong with them? It’s envy, envy, envy.”
In response to choosing between the other candidates if he was not contesting in the presidential race, he said, “None. Because they are not as competent as any other person out there. They have no track record. None of them is qualified except me.”
