‘I’ll give Nigerians full attention, not half from Dubai’ — Tinubu hits Atiku

Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), says he will devote all of his time and energy to Nigeria’s service.

In what appeared to be a swipe at Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tinubu said he won’t be a part-time president who will share his time between Dubai and Nigeria.

The former vice-president had spent most of his time in Dubai after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared President Muhammadu Buhari winner of the 2019 election.

Tinubu, according to a statement by Tunde Rahman, his media aide, spoke on Sunday at an interactive session with members of the Tijjaniyyah sect at the Kano government house.

The former Lagos governor said he would focus on confronting and surmounting Nigeria’s pressing challenges.

In September, Kashim Shettima, vice-presidential candidate of the APC, had also said his party would retire Atiku to Dubai in 2023.

Bashir Bareebah, leader of the Tijjaniyyah sect, urged Tinubu to ensure inclusion of the sect in his cabinet and other government appointments while reducing Hajj fares and completing the Tijjaniyyah University under construction in the state.

Improved electricity, security, agriculture, education and completion of dams were also part of the demands of the sect.

In response, Tinubu said solutions to the problems were contained in his manifesto.

He said he is running for president because of his commitment to improve the lives of all Nigerians.

The APC presidential candidate also met with northern business leaders to assure them his commitment of creating a stable business environment.

“There is a strong nexus between the place of Kano as a centre of prosperity and my plan for Nigeria. What I pledge is a revamped economy which will renew the hope of our people. Our country needs multiple centres of prosperity, and we intend to achieve that by adding value across all sectors of our economy,” Tinubu said.

“As I said during my speech at the Arewa House on Monday, Nigeria is sitting on a goldmine. There is no state in Nigeria that is lacking in one resources or the other. We are determined to explore and exploit these resources to the maximum benefits of our people. Kano, for example, has huge agricultural potentials and important mineral resources underneath its ground like gold, silver, nickel, tin ore and columbite. Each of these, if properly harnessed, can add significantly to our economy as a country.”