All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential standard bearer Asiwaju Bola Tinubu yesterday described himself as the candidate to beat in next year’s election.
He said there was no contender for the highest office who can match his track record.
The eminent politician spoke on his records, wealth and the economy in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Africa Service, monitored by The Nation.
Also yesterday, the APC Presidential Campaign Council dissected the manifesto of the Labour Party (LP) candidate, saying it cannot offer any refreshing relief to Nigerians.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it was not impressed by Tinubu’s performance at the Chatham House, London, on Monday.
The Director of Strategic Communication of Atiku/Okowa Campaign Organisation, Dele Momodu, said in a statement that it was “a complete charade”.
But, the APC Presidential Campaign Council defended Tinubu, saying he demonstrated capacity, competence, experience and the worth of leadership.
Describing himself as the most competent candidate, Tinubu said other contenders were not up to the task.
He said: “Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar are not competent. They are not as competent as any other person out there. They’ve no track record, none of them is qualified except me.”
Expressing optimism that next year’s polls will be free and fair, Tinubu said: “Things are going very well. I’m very confident that this election will be free and fair. I’m the frontrunner, and that’s why I’m getting many arrows.
“My top priorities are security, and economic recovery to accelerate 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.
“Insecurity in Nigeria is actually reduced, and I will defend him (Buhari) for that. Then, in 17 local and about four states, we had flags of foreign jihadists in Nigeria. That’s no more; that’s long gone.
“To start chaos is easy, to bring normalcy and redecorate is more difficult. Here we are, Buhari has degraded, but not completely eliminated ISWAP. We need mass recruitment of individuals in a volunteer army to really clean up.
“I’m different. I am 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’s so prudent, from N600million 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 so many people in Lagos. The infrastructural renewal of Lagos is excellent. I have continuity in Lagos.
“Buhari has done his best, he’s my leader in the party.”
Speaking on the source of his wealth, he said: “I have an example of Warren Buffett, one of the richest men in the world. He started from stock buying and brokerages. I inherited great real estate. I turned the values around. I’m not denying my wealth.
“I was the most investigated, the most accused governor in opposition up to, you know, for eight years, and up till 2007, and since I’ve left the office. I’m still there. I’ve not taken any government appointments. No government contracts.
“I’m not getting any share of the revenue from Lagos. The World Bank and IMF have investigated the record in Lagos.”
APC Campaign Council said the LP manifesto titled: “It is Possible: Our Pact with Nigerians,” was high on graphics, demagogic rhetorics and short on substance.
The council criticised the LP flag bearer Peter Obi for the use of the subtitle ‘Action Plan’, which the APC-PCC said was shamelessly parroted from Tinubu’s manifesto.
The campaign organisation, in a statement by its Director, Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, in Abuja, said aside from falling short of expectation, the LP policy document “is a poor imitation and regurgitation of what the current APC-led administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is doing.”
It maintained that the document reeled out by Obi and his running mate, Ahmed Datti, showed that they are ill-prepared for the task of governing Nigeria.
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