President Muhammadu Buhari and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, led governors of the party, ministers, National Working Committee (NWC) members, and other party leaders to Jos, Plateau State to flag off the presidential campaign rally of the party.

At the rally held on Tuesday at Jos Township Stadium, Buhari assisted by Adamu handed over the party’s flag to the presidential candidate, Asíwájú Bola Tinubu.

There was a heavy presence of the Nigerian Army, Police, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) at the stadium.

He reiterated his promise to lead the party’s campaign for the 2023 presidential election.

The flag-off had in attendance vice-presidential candidate, Senator Kashim Shettima, Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, and Speaker of the House Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

In attendance were governors, Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq (Kwara), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna), Abubakar Sani-Bello (Niger), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Prof Ben Ayade (Cross River), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Lagos Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, former Bauchi governor Mohammed Abubakar, former Ekiti governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, former governor of Borno, Modu Ali-Sheriff, and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

Other dignitaries include Senator Oluremi Tinubu, wife of APC presidential candidate, Hajiya Nana Shettima, wife of the vice-presidential candidate, both of who also addressed the rally, and Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, wife of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, ministers, and members of APC NWC.

*Tinubu slams Atiku, Obi as unworthy of the top job

Addressing the mammoth crowd, Tinubu said those who regard themselves as ‘Atikulator’ and ‘Obi-dient’ were riding on the wrong theories.

He urged members of the party not to be swayed, adding that Peter Obi does not know the road to his state in Anambra as he practically lives in Lagos.

He said, “February 2023 is more than an election. It is a fight to define the soul of the nation and to determine our collective fate, whether we will follow constitutional democracy or we go to sleep and surrender our rights to the jackals of looters.

“Who is ‘Atikulator’? Wrong theory. Markdown, wrong theory. Is it Peter Obi, haha! What is ‘Obi-dient? He lives in Lagos, not in Anambra. He doesn’t know the road back to Anambra. We will chart him another course. Get your PVCs ready. Be determined and resilient. Know your two brothers. Shettima and Ahmed Tinubu.

“We will never, never again surrender to them to reverse the progress and opportunities for electricity to industrialise our country. We will never choose the poverty development party over a progressive forward-looking party called APC.

The APC flagbearer took time to praise Buhari for his presence at the flag-off and the great foundation he has laid for the nation, which his incoming administration plans to build on.

“I am deeply honoured by the presence of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari. As campaign chairman, he promised to lead from the front. A man of his word, President Buhari has done what he said and more.

“Mr. President, you have provided exceptional service to the nation and party. Your contributions are both positive and enduring. When the history of this period is objectively written, it will smile upon you and treat you with the utmost kindness,” he added.

He also praised Adamu for leading the APC and steadying the ship of the party since assuming office as national chairman.

On his plans for the country, if elected president, Tinubu said unlike other parties who are either dwelling on a fruitless past or a tomorrow of fantasies, his administration hopes to chart the course of progress already stated by the Buhari administration.

“We hereby reaffirm our commitment to progressive good governance and to the fruits that such governance can bring to this nation.

“February 2023 is more than an election. It is a fight to define the soul of the nation and to determine our collective fate. Do we adhere to the ideals of broadly shared prosperity, competence, peace, justice, and compassion toward all? Or do we toss these ideals away, lashing ourselves to the divisive politics of the past or to those whose rantings show they cannot distinguish between fact and fantasy?

“One party wants to take us back to a past that never should have been. Another party wants to take us to a past that resides only in its candidate’s head. Neither the old road nor the fantasy road is good enough.

“Instead, we forge the wiser path toward our approved destination, an even better Nigeria. This is what the election is truly about,” he added.

2023: Obi hits back at Soludo

To ensure overall energy security and resource mobilisation for the country, Tinubu promised to continue the ongoing exploration works in all frontier basins and especially speed up the development of the commercial oil found in Gombe and Bauchi states.

Reeling out the successes of the Buhari administration, Tinubu said there was massive development in the agricultural, infrastructure, and power sectors in the last eight years of the APC government.

According to him, these foundations now require more builders to make it a massive structure, calling on all Nigerians to embark on the journey with him.

“Here, I thank president Buhari again because he has truly established a strong foundation for the things we are now to do.

“The Buhari administration achieved things in the agricultural, infrastructural, and power sectors no other administration has done. Additionally, his government liberated hundreds of communities from terrorists and brought thousands of displaced persons back to their homes.

“Truly the foundation has been set. It is now time to call more builders forward to further construct the national edifice that will be our best home. We, the APC and the Tinubu/Shettima team seek to make permanent a covenant of progressive good governance with the people,” he said.

He added, “Under this hopeful pact, we will assemble the best team. We shall build on progress in the agricultural sector by establishing commodity boards guaranteeing minimal prices for strategic crops. We shall create agricultural and industrial hubs in all zones.

“You shall also see water catchment and irrigation systems to help farming while mitigating the dire effects of drought and flooding brought about by a changing climate.

“We will encourage urban employment through a national industrial plan that employs a series of measures including tax and employment credits.

“We will deepen the knowledge economy. Millions of tech-savvy, innovative youth will benefit as will our overall economy. Talented youth will find a place in our government. We will bring greater power through natural gas and reasonable reform of the entire power sector.

“Our government will continue the infrastructural expansion so the overall economy may continue to expand in lockstep.

“Most importantly, I will give utmost priority to extinguishing terrorists and violent criminals. We shall augment our military, police, and security personnel while providing them with better tactical communication and mobility. We will employ hi-tech aerial surveillance to track and attack these menaces.

“These evil forces seek to destroy our democratic way of life. I have news for them. We will defeat their destructive way of life. They shall be utterly defeated and vanquished from our soil.”

Earlier on arrival in Jos on Monday, Tinubu and his entourage had paid a courtesy call on Gbong Gwon Jos, Jacob Buba, who described both Tinubu and his running mate as tested people who have records of achievements, adding that what the country needs at this time are tested men.

*Buhari presents party flag to Tinubu

Buhari presented the party’s flag to Tinubu to formally present him to Nigerians as the symbol of the party in the coming presidential election.

Interpreting Tinubu’s speech in the Hausa language, the APC vice-presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima, praised Nigerians for believing in the APC to lead the country to progress after years of backwardness under the PDP administration by declaring “hope is back.”

He said the campaign was starting in Plateau, a place that properly shows Nigeria’s vast potential.

The Director-General of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaigns and governor of Plateau, Simon Lalong, said Tinubu who is described as the City Boy of Lagos is now the City Boy of the Plateau.

Lalong assured that the APC would sweep the elections in Plateau and across Nigeria, explaining that from the strategic engagements and Town Hall meetings held recently with various special interest groups, Tinubu is the candidate of choice for Nigerians because of his vast experience in tacking problems, ability to listen and gather the best brains to get the job done without ethnic, religious or other sentiments.

Lalong added, “His records in Lagos State speak for themselves and his ability to network and carry along Nigerians of different backgrounds is unequalled.”

Senate President Lawan, Progressives Governors Forum Chairman, Atiku Bagudu, and other governors in various goodwill messages assured that Tinubu and all the candidates of the APC will emerge victorious.

They anchored their confidence on what they called the capacity of Asiwaju and the performance of President Buhari.

APC governorship candidate in Plateau State, Nentawe Yilwatda, said hosting the flag-off in Plateau as well as the appointment of Governor Lalong as director-general has affirmed that the state is the home of APC.

He said the state will vote massively for Asiwaju and all candidates of the party because APC has brought a lot of democracy dividends to Plateau State.

*Lagos Assembly lawmaker slumps, dies after attending APC campaign in Jos

Meanwhile, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Sobur Olawale, died at the campaign rally in Jos yesterday.

The lawmaker, who is the chairman of the House Committee on Local Government, was said to have slumped and died on Tuesday after attending the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign flag-off in Jos.

A source in the Lagos assembly confirmed the development, adding that it is not clear what could have caused the death of the lawmaker.

“He indeed died, but you will understand that at this moment, I can’t put out a report to announce the death of a very good friend. He slumped and died. We both travelled to Jos and it’s sad to not come back with him to Lagos.”