Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu to withdraw from the presidential race.
Kachikwu, who addressed a press conference in Abuja, after a two weeks isolation due to the coronavirus, alleged that, “Tinubu has no business being in this race or continuing this race.”
He lamented that the country was in the current mess because Buhari’s government failed to deliver on its electoral promises to Nigerians when his health failed him on assumption of office in 2015.
He warned against the repeat of what Nigerians were currently experiencing under Buhari by prevailing on the APC candidate to quit the race.
Kachikwu noted that he was not against an older person contesting election, but that he wasn’t comfortable with “a candidate with significant cognitive disabilities embarrassing my nation and making a mockery of the entire political process. “
He said, “Eight years ago, there was palpable tension in our land as the fever of change gripped Nigerians, mostly our youths. Anything and anybody but President Jonathan they said.
“The APC skillfully manipulated the minds and emotions of Nigerians and successfully delivered a so-called reformed dictator as president of Nigeria.
“Eight years later, we now know that when people say change, we should ask change in what direction. Even children don’t want to hear the word change.
“We are in this mess because we don’t question anything as a people. We are apathetic to politics and governance.
“We fail to see the connection between government, governance and our lives because for too long the Nigerian government has merely existed in name to the Nigerian people.”
He added: “I personally believe that President Buhari had some good intentions in mind when he ran for office but alas when his health failed, his government also failed.
“Today, the same APC that failed the Nigerian people monumentally with a sick president has presented another sick candidate to the Nigerian people.
“There is nothing wrong with being old or sick as we will all get old some day. We also all get sick at some point or the other.
“What I do have a problem with, is a candidate with significant cognitive disabilities embarrassing my nation and making a mockery of the entire political process. Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu has no business being in this race or continuing this race.
“He has said it is his turn and I agree: it is his turn to do the honourable thing and withdraw from this race.
“I call on his (Tinubu’s) family, his party, the APC and President Buhari to prevail on him to do the right thing. I also call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to wake up from their slumber.
“We can’t continue to be known as the nation that conducts sham elections. INEC can’t continue to pretend not to see the voter inducement that takes place at rallies all over the country. What of the primaries? Has anyone been indicted, sanctioned or punished?”
He lamented that most of the presidential candidates were not addressing the challenges confronting Nigerians in their speeches at rallies and campaigns .
