Ahead of the forthcoming general elections, former Jigawa State governor and Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) presidential hopeful, Sule Lamido have urged former Lagos state governor and national leader of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to review his membership of the ruling party.
Lamido gave the admonition on Thursday in Abuja, while speaking at the 15th Daily Trust Dialogue with the theme, ‘’Nigeria and the Challenges of 2019.’’
The former Jigawa state governor who noted that Asiwaju Tinubu had since been sidelined by the Presidency further claimed that the former Lagos state is being integrated by Buhari ahead of a fresh election.
Turning to former Lagos state governor Commissioner for Finance, Wale Edun, who represented Bola Tinubu, the former Jigawa state governor said: “Tell Asiwaju that his brother and friend says he is in a wrong party. He will only recover and reintegrate himself as a democrat if he leaves the APC.
‘’Asiwaju has only integrated six months ago. They were using his governors and ministers from south-west to fight him! We know all these, he should leave APC for them.’’
In his appraisal of the Buhari administration, the PDP presidential aspirant said he was not surprised by what he called APC incapacity to deliver on its electoral promises as he dismissed the ruling party as a platform created out of desperation for power.
“APC is telling us what government should do after three years in power. APC should tell us what they failed to do. They call Nigerians wailing wailers for complaining. Thankfully, wailing will be over in 2019.
“APC members have joined the wailing wailers. Buhari is wailing, when he complained that there was no viable hospital here to attend to his ailment; his wife was wailing when she said there was no syringe at State House Clinic. Sagay is wailing, Akande is wailing, everybody is wailing.”
The former Jigawa governor also offered a hint of a coalition of forces across parties divide to unseat President Buhari in 2019, as he revealed that 2019 will be defined by borderless politicking. Those in APC and PDP will come together to save Nigeria.’’
Tinubu, however, said remarkable achievements have been made by the present administration despite efforts by members of the main opposition party, the PDP too cast aspersion on the ruling party.
He said:’’The past 3 years have captured the essence of our collective challenge. Progress has been made in part. However, advocates of the old ways have rebelled in full against even these partial blossoms of improvement.
‘’Yet, I maintain the unshakeable belief that smart, progressive governance can bring prosperity, tranquility, and justice.
‘’During the past three years, this government has beaten Boko Haram into retreat. None of us should forget the looming threat Boko Haram posed and the fear it instilled in the general public just a brief time ago. It had planted its flag over Nigerian land, claiming territory bigger than several nations. It had kidnapped and killed at will, decimating towns and villages in its wake.
‘’The dreaded terrorist flag is nowhere to be seen and steadily people are returning to their homes, rebuilding their towns and villages in the process. Boko Haram may not be completely defeated but it shall never rise again to be the existential threat it once was. Because of this government’s policy, countless lives have been saved from the grasp of terror.
‘’In addition, this government has progressed in the fight against corruption through the recovery of stolen public funds and bringing wrong-doers to justice. As progress is being made on these fronts, Nigeria also must face its biggest structural problem: our imbalanced economy and the poverty and misery it has caused.
‘’If a prophet, I would begin to prophesy at this point about all the good economic things that shall visit Nigeria and its people if we stay the proper course; in taking further bold action to reform and improve our political economy.’’
Speaking on the menace created by nomadic Fulani herdsmen and its attendant violence which has led to the loss of lives in Benue, Kaduna and Taraba states, the APC national leader demanded agro-economic policy initiatives to address the problem.
‘’The crux of the matter is that the nomadic way of life is fast becoming obsolete. Large-scale nomadic practice does not belong in this day and age. This is reality and it is inescapable.
‘’Thus, herders have no right to cling to this way of life by killing others. The government must stop their violence but also offer them a viable new way of life by moving them toward more modern, non-nomadic cattle rearing.
‘’Additionally, the government should establish a relief and a rehabilitation programme for those families and communities that have been so grievously harmed. In short, to resolve this lethal problem, the government must implement a multi-dimensional policy that encompasses security, agro-economic, educational and emergency relief elements.
This is the art and mastery of governance that our nation and its complex problems require.
‘’In addition to mending this rupture of peace, I believe those who seek to enshrine good governance must boldly act to improve the quality of life of the people.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, who represented President Buhari assured the gathering that the federal the government was committed to free, fair election devoid of turbulence next year.
‘’’For President Muhammadu Buhari, as the nation prepares for another round of elections in 2019, there was a need to sustain efforts at building confidence in the country’s democratic institutions, especially judiciary and INEC.
“I also call on politicians and political parties to pledge their commitment to the peaceful democratic process by urging their supporters to respect the electoral process and refrain from violence. All aggrieved parties should seek redress through constitutional means and respect for the rules of law.
“On our part, I want to assure Nigerians that my administration will not condone any action, support any individual or group that undermine citizens confidence in the country’s political institutions to conduct peaceful and successful elections.”
Nollywood actress, Kate Henshaw said Nigerians must ensure that their votes count and further advocated institutional reforms.
In his opening remarks, Chairman of the Daily Trust Media Limited Kabiru Yusuf, said the publishing outfit decided to start the yearly dialogue ahead of the forthcoming general election ‘’because politics is too important to be left for politicians alone.”
