….Says ruling party confident of victory
From Fred Itua, Abuja
National chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu on Wednesday night dismissed claims by the Kaduna state Governor, Nasir El-Rufai alleging the existence of a cabal at the Presidential Villa.
At a media parley in Abuja, Adamu also expressed the readiness of his party for the polls, saying “victory is on the horizon”.
Noting that the party was not consulted on the Naira Redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, Adamu expressed optimism that a quick solution was on the way.
He also dismissed claims that the party was disunited, saying if anything, APC would be going into the elections as one united front.
Adamu who was flanked by his senior advisers said; “On the issue of cabal in the Villa, well I don’t belong to the mafia world and it takes a mafia man to identify another mafia. I am not one. I am not aware that there is a cabal. I have heard and read about it in the papers but the Presidency has denied it. I don’t work in the presidency but I trust the presidency and I believe very strongly that there is no such thing as cabal in the presidency. When people try to do a thing and they cannot get their way through or get what they want, then they start associating or attributing that to some imaginary force or interest group stronger than their own”.
Tinubu won’t govern by proxy
The APC chairman also gave a pass mark with regards to Tinubu’s health status, saying the APC standard bearer won’t govern by proxy when he becomes the president.
“I am just hearing a new terminology, ‘proxy presidency’. Well you are entitled to your thoughts. I cannot question that, but, Tinubu, once elected will leave up to the expectations of that office in its fullest. That I can assure you.
“Tinubu is younger by 10 years to USA’s Biden. Why can’t we give Tinubu the benefit of the doubt that he can succeed as president?
“Tinubu is not the kind of person who will surrender his office to anybody. I am not aware of any challenge of ill-health associated with him. Since 1999, I have seen him exhibit good health. I have not had any occasion seeing him complain about the campaigns or that there were tasks given to him and he complained of tiredness”.
On the insecurity in the South East and the possibility of holding elections there, Adamu urged the agitators fo give peace a chance.
While he conceded that election is a civic duty, he said if the majority do not go out to vote, results would be declared based on the votes of a few.
“On the issue or what happens in the south east, while I am hoping and looking forward to elections taking place in the south east, I want to emphasize that election is a civic responsibility. It is not compulsory. You can go and vote or decide not to vote and then results would be declared based on the few who vote. There is a limit to what we can do. There is a limit to what we can take or tolerate. There have been so many challenges. There have been killings and arson in that part of the country, that some people are even challenging the sovereignty of this country. And just as much as there are people who want to divide this country, there are more of us working for the country. So, in the end, with God, we will see who is stronger.
“My appeal is that they should try to see reason. They should give peace a chance. If they allow elections to take place, by God, APC will win the South East region. There is nothing wrong in their agitation. Self determination. It is allowed but when it involves lives of people, killings maiming, destruction of property, we don’t have the stomach for it. It is my hope that they will be apprehended and the law will take its cause”.
Adamu hailed the media for its professional coverage of the electioneering but cautioned against fake news especially in the social media.
“Let me however caution against some of the disinformation, misinformation, lies and fake news propagated in the social media.
“In reporting the election and results, we must be careful to be truthful and honest. We must remember that after this election, there will be a country to govern. While social media reportage has a place in information dissemination, it must be used responsibly for social harmony, inclusiveness and peace”, he stated.
Adamu added that the party is fully prepared for the election and hopeful of a guaranteed victory, after its rigorous campaigns across the nation.
He said; “I have invited you here today to let you know that the APC is fully prepared and ready to go into this election. For us as a party, the only result we expect from this election is victory. We have worked hard, really hard, to expect victory. No party has been able to put up a robust campaign as the APC has done.
“We call on all our supporters and agents to conduct themselves peacefully, but be very vigilant going into the polls. We also call on the other parties to support the electoral umpire, INEC, towards conducting an election that will meet every standard of fairness and transparency.
“Our party, the APC, goes into this election as a united front. The National Working Committee and all organs of the party are working together to deliver victory to the APC and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. And, by the grace of God, we shall surely come out of this weekend’s election, the victorious party.
“I am convinced that with what I have seen across the country, victory in Saturday’s election belong to us by God’s grace”.
APC not consulted on Naira Redesign
Adamu also restated the earlier position of the party that it was not consulted by the Executive arm of government.
He bqoe er said the party was not opposed to the policy, but only concerned about the mode of implementation.
“We are not in principle opposed to naira redesign but the implementation of the programme has become challenging to the CBN and those of us who run the economy.
“Yes the timing is not good and pessimists would attribute the misfortunes to our party but we are very positive that in spite of this issue, Nigerians have not lost faith in us and I am sure that they will stand up in this face of this insufficient Naira to support us.
“I can assure you that we have not lost the confidence that the Nigerian people will still stand by our party. Nobody wants to inflict hardship deliberately on a fellow man, let alone a leader doing that, notwithstanding that it has eaten into electioneering.
“If I had a wish today, I would wish this didn’t happen at this time”.
The APC chairman alao dismissed concerns that some of ota governors who have opposed the mode of implementation of the policy, were working against the federal government and the fortunes of the party.
He said; “There is no governor that I know worth his salt, that would want to work against himself. I don’t see any Governor working against the party in the forthcoming election. The governors are all stakeholders in this election. Those Governors got carried away by the pressure from their citizens and there is nothing wrong in a leader identifying with his people. I don’t think it was about showing discontent with the party. The party does not control the monetary policy. We were not consulted as such, with regards to the design or implementation of the Naira Redesign”.
On the large number of registered voters who are youths and concerns that they could vote enmasse for a party with a younger candidate, Adamu urged Nigerians not to be carried way by what he called “social media gimmicks “.
“I am happy that the youths have turned out greatly to register as voters but don’t get carried away by the social media gimmicks that every youth in Nigeria is against the ruling party, APC and that they are going to vote in one direction.
“Election politics is not just about flying figures. We are not carried away by that. It is just a scarecrow tactics”, he declared.
