National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has called on the Igbo community in Lagos State not to dump the party but to vote for all APC candidates during the general election rescheduled for February 23 and March 9.
The APC leader also said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is neither an enemy nor opponent of the party.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Lagos State secretariat of the party, yesterday Tinubu, who is also the co-chairman, President Muhammadu Buhari’s Campaign Organisation, said the party is not fighting with INEC and has accepted the decision of the Commission to postpone the general election.
He urged the party supporters to see the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as an opponent that must be defeated and not the electoral commission.
His statement was a sharp departure from the stance of the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, who has consistently accused the electoral commission of colluding with the PDP against the ruling party.
Tinubu said: “INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, is like the pilot of a plane that controls the aircraft, even when there is turbulence. There is no leadership without challenges. We are still a growing democracy and we will overcome. Like an aircraft, INEC will land safely and take us into the election. INEC is not our opponent; we are not fighting against them. It is the PDP that we are fighting against. They are our opponents. PDP does not have our strength in the South West, North West and Middle Belt. As far as we are concerned, the PDP is already dead and buried.
“I am instructing our members to go round the local governments and get the voters out. If you have any problems at all, go and see the leaders at the local government. We know how many polling booths are in each ward and you must deliver all of them. Let me warn our boys, you heard what President Muhammadu Buhari said will happen to those who snatch ballot boxes…
“We appeal to our Igbo brothers. Lagos is a state where you conduct your business. Your children are in our schools and we do not discriminate when we want to grant them admission or when we want to pay WAEC fees for them. Now, this is the time we are saying you should vote for our party. We are in this together. We want to know how many votes you will give APC in Surulere, Amuwo Odofin, Oshodi Isolo, Ajeronmi Ifelodun, Ojo, Alaba and other areas.”
