Tinubu: Let’s Work Together to stop PDP from taking power

By Emmanuel Oladesu, Deputy Editor; Jide Orintunsin, Tony Akowe and Nicholas Kalu, Abuja

Governors, Lawan, Atiku, Kwankwaso, Fayemi, Uba, others salute standard bearer
After securing a landslide victory in the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential shadow poll, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu yesterday called on members to join forces to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in next year’s election.

He said the real work of retaining power and keeping the PDP at bay had begun.

Everyone, including those who contested against him, must come on board, he said.

He spoke after receiving the flag in the election in which he defeated 13 other aspirants, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi.

To Tinubu, the battle against common foes requires all hands on deck.

He expressed gratitude to the delegates, President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders after polling 1,271 votes to clinch the ticket.

Amaechi scored 235 votes, Osinbajo got 316 votes, Lawan secured 152 votes and Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello scored 47.

Other results are: Dave Umahi (38), Ben Ayade (37), Sani Yerima (4), Ogbonnaya Onu (1), Emeka Nwaujiba (1), Rochas Okorocha (0), Tunde Bakare (0), Tein Jack-Rich (0) and Ikeobasi Mokelu (0).

The presentation of APC flag to Tinubu by President Buhari and National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu was the climax of the special convention.

Expressing appreciation to the party faithful, Tinubu said: “I must thank you all for making me the standard-bearer of our progressive party.

“And I humbly accept the nomination of this convention to be the presidential candidate of our enlightened, humanitarian and great party.

“I also offer my sincere gratitude to President Buhari for his calm and prudent leadership throughout this process.

“I thank him, also, for his steadfast determination to ensure a level-playing field and a free and fair primary process for every aspirant.

“Without him, I would not be standing here today as the new flag bearer of Nigeria’s party.

“I thank the governors for their invaluable contribution to internal democracy and unity. I commend the party leadership and organisers for the conduct of a successful convention.

“Thank you delegates for the confidence you have shown in me. I will prove that your choice was a wise one.

“You have moved our party and country towards its best future. On your mandate, I shall stand.

“I commend my fellow aspirants. It is a difficult thing to run for president. The stiff and bold competition you offered made our party stronger and made me better.

“I must say a special word of thanks to the seven aspirants: Alhaji Badaru Abubakar, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Dr Kayode Fayemi and Mrs Uju Kennedy, who chose to step down their ambitions for the good of the party and the unity of our purpose.”

Tinubu, who said the PDP has nothing to show for its 16 years in power, believes the success of the ruling party’s shadow poll silenced the doubters.

“Now we are here, we will roar. We will do it. We will tell Poverty Development Party – they call themselves PDP – that 16 years of failures of wastefulness are over.

“We are set to defeat them again, bury them and leave them way away for us. We will repair our country,” he said.

Extending an olive branch to his co-contestants, Tinubu added: “The competition is now over. Those who did not support me, you have nothing to fear. I hold no grudges or grievances.

“Let us join hands in defeating the PDP and beating back our common foes of poverty, terror and violence.”

The APC flag bearer expressed concern about the growing wave of killings and spoke of the need for love and tolerance to conquer evil.

“The Bible taught us to love your neighbour as you love yourself. It did not say kill your neighbour,” he said.

Admitting that the country is passing through a hard time, the former Lagos State Governor is optimistic that the challenges are surmountable.

Tinubu said: “Yes, we face serious problems. But I believe that we have it within us to reach our finest destiny.

“With help from God, we shall make this nation better for the generations to come…

“Do we dare muster our collective strength to conquer terrorism, kidnapping, and violent evil of any form? Yes, we dare.”

The convention was not without some drama. Voting was halted around midnight Tuesday following complaints that few fake delegates had infiltrated the queue.

That led to complaints by some aspirants who demanded more transparency and seriousness on the part of the Electoral Management Committee, led by Kebbi Governor and Chairman of Progressives Governors’ Forum, Atiku Bagudu

A member of the committee mounted the podium, threatening to apprehend and prosecute any delegate found with unruly behaviour or any fake delegate.

The party did not print ballot papers. Sheets that were signed by the election committee were given to each candidate, who wrote the name of his or her preferred candidate.

Assistance was given to those who could not write well.

The committee urged delegates to write full names, because three aspirants –Yerima Sani, Lawan and Tinubu – bore the same second name: Ahmed.

Cameras or phones were not allowed during voting. There was no room for whispering or display of the sheets after voting.

Voting resumed two hours later and continued till yesterday morning. After that, sorting of the votes from over 40 boxes commenced around 9.40am

After the sorting, counting commenced. The counting was done by Pastor Osagie Eze-Iyamu, former Edo State governorship candidate and O’tega Emerhor from Delta State, assisted by two women members of the committee.

When arithmetic mistakes were made in the course of counting, the exercise was repeated.

At a time, the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, said women members of the committee should also participate in counting so it will not be all-male affair.

Around 2.22pm, Bagudu, who was the Returning Officer, declared Tinubu winner, amid jubilation by his supporters.

He also reviewed the process, saying that among the 23 aspirants who submitted forms, 14 contested for the ticket while nine either withdrew or stepped down.