The Atiku/Okowa Campaign Organisation on Friday accused the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, of sending his campaign officials to unleash hate speech against prominent leaders in the north and other parts of the country in a desperate bid to incite Nigerians, according to the main opposition, to cause insurrection and disrupt the 2023 general elections.
This is contained in a statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, its spokesperson, which noted how the ruling party flag bearer, “who is heavily agonized by his looming defeat in the 2023 general elections, having been rejected by Nigerians,” has now resorted to incendiary statements as well as deploying top members of his campaign, including a serving governor, to insult and condemn prominent Nigerian leaders as a ploy to trigger crisis in the polity.
The statement added: “Our Campaign invites Nigerians to note how notable arrowheads and supporters of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign have been moving around various media houses to spew hate speeches and promote blackmailing narratives apparently with the view to undermining our national unity and derailing the electoral process.
“Such top officials of the Tinubu Campaign are also reportedly instructed to attack peaceful and well-meaning Nigerians, issue threats, incite mob actions, promote riots and violence in various parts of the country in furtherance of Tinubu’s unrelenting incitement to his followers to deploy violence, fight and snatch power by all means in the 2023 general elections.
“Nigerians can still recall how Tinubu recently in London declared to his followers that ‘political power is not going to be served in a restaurant, it is not served a la carte. It is what we are doing; It is being determined; you do it at all costs; fight for it, grab it, snatch it, and run with it.’
“Also, Nigerians can recall how Tinubu, in APC Campaign Rally in Abeokuta, Ogun State, made very wild allegations, incited his followers to see the February 25, “Presidential election as a ‘revolution’.
“It is therefore not in doubt that having failed in every parameter of assessing a credible presidential candidate and having realized that he cannot win in the election, the APC Presidential Candidate is desperately seeking to cause anarchy, mayhem, bloodletting, violence and a forcible overthrow of our democratic system not minding the lives and safety of millions of Nigerians.
“It is clear that Tinubu is pathetically being driven by an entitlement mentality, and as such, he does not care about the unity of our country.
“In any case, Tinubu had since announced that he does not believe in Nigeria as a nation. It is therefore obvious that he is in the Presidential race for purposes that are not for the wellbeing of Nigerians; thus his readiness to set our nation on fire for his selfish purpose.
“It is however pitiable that a two-term governor, who has been spewing divisive insults on the leaders of our nation, can make himself a willing tool just because of personal aggrandizement.”