‘What an insult!’ — Udom reacts to Tinubu’s ‘that boy’ jibe

Udom Emmanuel, governor of Akwa Ibom, says political campaigns should be about addressing issues affecting the country — not attacks on individuals. 

Emmanuel spoke on Tuesday while inaugurating the newly appointed permanent secretaries, chairpersons and members of boards and commissions, and the transition committee in Uyo, the state capital.

While campaigning in the state on Monday, Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had tackled Emmanuel for supporting the presidential bid of Atiku Abubakar, standard-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“Akwa Ibom, that boy that brought Atiku here, who calls himself governor — tell him enough is enough. He lives in my backyard in Lagos. If not that we are friends, I would have driven him home,” Tinubu said.

But responding on Tuesday, Emmanuel said Tinubu’s comment should focus on what he intends to do if elected rather than launch personal attacks on individuals.

“When you leave what you can do for the people and be talking about other people, it means you don’t have anything to offer people,” Emmanuel said.

“If I had wanted to answer Asiwaju, he won’t carry the kind of insult I would have insulted him.

“You (Tinubu) say ‘that boy that brought Atiku here and call himself a governor’. What an insult! In a whole state. Then our people were there clapping. Other governors there clapping. If you don’t have anything to tell the people, then you come and go.

“If you watch our campaign, my principal has never spoken about any governor. My principal has never spoken openly about Asiwaju before. I don’t want to answer him. But I will answer him one day.

“He is insulting 7.9 million people. It is not about Udom Emmanuel, it is about government, it is about people. I don’t want to join issues with these people.”