Jonathan Eze
Former presidential aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has said that the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bola Tinubu, would not have any influence on who eventually becomes the President in 2019, adding that his popularity and that of his party is receding faster than the waters of Lake Chad.
He added that Nigerians have come to a realisation that a victory for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 is an existential threat not only to the peaceful coexistence of the country, but also to individual wellbeing and survival of families, breadwinners and jobs across the country.
Okupe’s reaction was as a result of Tinubu’s comment on Atiku’s chances ahead the presidential election slated for February 16, 2019. According to him, the APC leader’s comment on Atiku’s prospect are essentially not meant for the serious minded, and quite unexpected from the leader of a party in power whose popularity and national acceptability are receding faster than the waters of lake Chad.
The statement reads in part: “Tinubu’s statement is extremely presumptuous. It assumes that he as a person or whatever political platform he stands on will have anything to do with who emerges as president in 2019.
“I assure Tinubu that he does not, and will not have any serious influence on who will emerge as president after the 2019 elections. He had such opportunity in 2015 but it was wasted on a moribund, unproductive and lackluster presidency.
“Hence, it is a fact that he had a tremendous influence and did play a significant role in the emergence of president Buhari in 2015. This was due to the fact that he and the APC were able to successfully hoodwink the Nigerian electorate into wrongly believing that the incumbent at that time was weak, inept and clueless. The prevailing feeling in Nigeria then was that a change was necessary to “save” the country.
“However, things are quite different now. Without prompting, propaganda or mass-brainwashing, Nigerians have come to realise that a victory for Buhari in 2019 is an existential threat not only to the peaceful coexistence of the nation, but also to individual wellbeing and survival of families, breadwinners and jobs across the country.”
The former spokesman said that Tinubu, APC and their candidate, Buhari have lost the elections even before the set date.
Okupe urged Tinubu not to worry about where Atiku is holding meetings to unseat Buhari, or where he is “going” in 2019. Rather, he should seriously give urgent thoughts to his own destination after 2019.
“For certain, I want to assure him that the PDP will retire him gracefully to his political shrine at Bourdillon. While the expired and rejected product he is dutifully carrying to the political market in 2019 heads to Daura; hale and hearty.”
