The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, has accused former president Olusegun Obasanjo and his Vice, Atiku Abubakar, of financial recklessness during their regime.
Tinubu made the accusation on Tuesday at a presidential rally in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital while addressing party members and supporters, according to Leadership.
He alleged that Obasanjo and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku, squandered the Petroleum Technology Development Fund.
Tinubu alleged that the former president and Atiku, who is now the presidential candidate of the PDP shared the PTDF money and started buying cars for their girlfriends.
He said, “We mean what we say. We are not like that other party, 16 years of argument, and absent-mindedness.
“Obasanjo and Atiku after sharing money in PTDF, what did they do? They started buying cars for their girlfriends and they went to the Wuse Market in Abuja and argued about it and fought, shame on them.
“We will not in any way fight with his Vice President. We are going to revive the economy, create jobs for our youths and develop agriculture.”
Tinubu equally assured that, if elected, he would consolidate on the successes made by the current administration by injecting more ideas that will help in giving more sense of belonging to the electorates across the country.
Tinubu meets Obasanjo
This allegation is coming months after a closed-door meeting was held between Tinubu and the former president, Obasanjo, in hopes to get his endorsement.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, who was present at the meeting said from what he heard there, Tinubu’s presidency was assured.
He said, “When we were going to Obasanjo’s house, we were eight, including Asiwaju Tinubu and me; we didn’t want many people to know about the meeting. So, we were to meet Obasanjo and five others from his side.
“But when we eventually got there, we met something pleasantly shocking: a mammoth crowd of our supporters were already at the former president’s house waiting for us.
“So, Obasanjo told Asiwaju Tinubu to pick three people from his side and that he would pick three from his side to meet behind closed doors.
“So, I, Chief Osoba and Chief Akande and Asiwaju went from our side. My people, what I heard there, what Obasanjo said, the victory of Asiwaju is assured.”
Obasanjo endorses Peter Obi
However, on the first day of the new year, in his New Year message, Obasanjo openly endorsed Peter Obi as his preferred candidate.
Obasanjo said, “None of the contestants is a saint but when one compares their character, antecedent, their understanding, knowledge, discipline, and vitality that they can bring to bear and the great efforts required to stay focused on the job, particularly looking at where the country is today and with the experience on the job that I personally had, Peter Obi as a mentee has an edge.”
Tinubu reacts to Obi’s endorsement
Following the endorsement, a statement from Tinubu’s corner declared it ‘worthless’, stating that it was expected.
The statement read in part, “We respect the democratic right of former President Obasanjo to support and endorse any candidate of his choice in any election.
“Except that he made it known formally in his new year message, any discerning political watcher in Nigeria knows that Chief Obasanjo’s preference for Peter Obi is expected.
“We make bold to say that our party and candidate, Asíwájú Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not lose sleep over Obasanjo’s move, as Obasanjo is notorious for always opposing progressive political forces, as he did against MKO Abiola in 1993.
“The endorsement is actually worthless because the former President does not possess any political goodwill or leverage anywhere in Nigeria to make anyone win a Councillorship election let alone win a Presidential election. He is a political paperweight.”