Photos: Tinubu, Ambode Canvass Igbo Support for APC

                           

Former Lagos State governor and national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu and the party’s governorship candidate, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, have urged Igbo residents in the state to shun monetary inducements and support the party’s candidates at all levels.Making the call yesterday during a solidarity rally organised by the Igbo traditional council led by the Eze Ndigbo in Ikeja, Eze Uche Dimgba, Tinubu, who arrived the Onikan Stadium venue of the rally in company of Ambode, said successive APC governments in Lagos have maintained an indiscriminate relationship with Igbos in the state.
“Today, all of you; the grassroots, the Igbo – you are here in Lagos. Are you not comfortable? Are you not safe? Are you not building your houses? You have been here 20 years, 29 years, and 50 years. Nobody can discriminate against you. Nobody will fight you based on your language. But it is now they remember you and try to ‘dollarise’ everything.

“Can they give you shops; can they give you markets and pay schools for your children? Can they pay the WAEC fees for your children? In Lagos, when you need shop do we ask you whether you are Igbo? When we pay WEAC fees of your children do we ask if you are Igbo? When you go to hospital, do we discriminate?

“You cannot say Igbo has never ruled Lagos. When my wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu started the Spelling Bee for all children in public schools, the boy who came first when they started, Ebuka Anisiobi; he came first and we gave him scholarship. We didn’t say because he is Igbo, we wouldn’t give him the scholarship. He became the first Igbo to become governor of Lagos for one day.

“Today, the boy is a success. He has come out of Cambridge University on scholarship. We didn’t discriminate against him. He graduated with a First Class. He is now an executive of Oando. Ebuka is an Igbo boy. When our child was reading for his examination, we called him to come and help put him through. Now, somebody brings money to come and buy your conscience.

“Giving you money is not taking care of your children’ future, this is the time to show that you are independent. If you vote for APC, you know you are voting for the future,” he told the people.

Concerning the issue of Buhari’s age, Tinubu said: “If he (Jonathan) passed political history, he would remember that Buhari’s age is the age of wisdom. Obafemi Awolowo contested his last election at 74. Azikiwe contested his last election at 79 and Mandela became president at 76.

“If they say somebody is brain dead, it means the person is dead and General Buhari is not dead. Buhari is a patriot who could sit in the comfort of his house. He is a retired general.”

He compared him to former US president, a retired Army General, Ulysses Grant; leader of the resistance and former French general, Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle, who is renowned to have revolutionalised France and former officer of the British Army who later became Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century.

“This is the time we need a general like Buhari to chase Boko Haram away. This is the time we need ‘General Competent Buhari’ to rescue our country. When Maitasine raised their heads, he chased them past Chad Republic,” he told the people.

When addressing the crowd, Ambode who spoke in ‘adulterated English’ said: “Let me first thank you for organising the rally. It is not that you were forced. Where you make your living and where you are making your money is where you will protect.

“After the civil war, Lagos didn’t take your abandoned property. Today you collect your house rent, businesses grow and some of you were born in Lagos, you school in Lagos and work in Lagos. So if we talk of Lagosians, you are Lagosians. Lagos is for all of us, we will not discriminate against you. Nobody will drive anybody out. Lagos has been standing for you; it is time for you to stand for us,” he told the people.-This day