All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu spoke with reporters in Lagos, shortly after casting his vote at Ikeja, the state capital. EMMANUEL OLADESU was there.
What is your assessment of the exercise so far?
The process has started. The new system of accreditation is being tested; it is being tried. It is like a forensic exercise. I was accredited through the process by the machine. It is a new threshold and it requires a level of tolerance. People may have to endure more. But, as we go ahead, and we move forward into the future, it is the only way to go.
Can you say the exercise is credible?
How can I say that from one booth? How can I? Until we get the facility checks and reports from various points, we can’t say. But, if the card readers work well, it will result in credible elections.
There is an allegation that you have been telling people to vote for a particular PDP candidate in this election. What is your reaction?
This is my phone number. I can still make it public; 08062240104. I didn’t send any text message. That is part of the gimmick and the desperation of the ruling party; when they pack some fraudulent people in office, trying to subvert the right of the people to freely exercise their civic duty. Again, that is fraudulent. I didn’t authorise any network to do anything. That one we will discuss when we go to court. I cannot campaign today. But, I know what I have told my supporters and the supporters of our party. You all know the party I belong to and you know the candidate of that party. The only text message I can send is that people should believe in me, our party and the presidential candidate, senatorial candidate, House of Representatives candidates. You know the party I am. Don’t believe in any text message coming from me to do otherwise. I stay firm, I stay credible, I stay resolved. I am determined and committed. I am a leader of the party. If anybody sends you a fraudulent message, you should know they are cowards. They know they are going to be defeated. That is why they are resorting to fraud. That is why they should not even be in government. That is the more reason they should be out. That is the truth. I have received text messages and several calls from people to verify the so-called text messages. But, I have consistently denied that. It is disturbing. It is annoying. It is terrible that people will resort to fraud. What kind of leadership, what kind of legacy, what kind of ethics are we teaching our people. How can I compromise the platform that I lead; helped to build and, by the grace of God, the best platform that is available? So, it is a lie. I will go to any extent to investigate this, to know whether my phone is cloned or how they sent fraudulent messages on my behalf. The investigation has started. It is a fact. I work tirelessly for our platform. No change. Why should I change yesterday (last Friday). If you were in my house yesterday, who would have seen the crowd in their thousands. We instructed them to wash their hands; comply with INEC regulations, keep peace and not to be violent. They were the ones shooting all night to scare voters from coming out to vote. It is democracy, not war. Their leader said he won’t step on anybody’s blood. But, if agents are killing and scaring people on your behalf, you must be held responsible. That is the truth. I have made so much sacrifice for this platform.
In some units, the card readers are not working…
You keep on trying. I am not a technician. The process of validity, integrity of the system is through the card reader. It has been used successfully in other countries. I observed it in Kenya. I observed it in Ghana. No technical item developed by human beings will not have its hitches. We have to endure it. I hope it is not a deliberate attempt to frustrate and depopulate the public to choose. I hope not. I hope INEC will work hard to protect its reputation and save Nigeria. If Gen. Obasanjo and others are saying there must be peace, there must be honesty; if Abubakar Abdulsalami is saying the same thing; if it takes President Obama of United States to appeal to our sense of value to our commitment to our nation, then, we should not preach violence. We should not react violently. We should tell our people to vote. When you are confident of winning, you don’t have to do fraud, dabaru and provoke violence. If you are confident, you don’t want to disrupt the votes.
What is your advice to voters now?
Nigerians should just endure. You are blessed. You should persevere. Exercise your right. This is the only time you can apply commonsense revolution; to begin to hold leaders accountable. If leaders are not performing and they know you can vote them out every four years, they will sit up. If leaders are dishonest, they can only fool you for four years. After four years, you change them. This is your turn to choose who you want to rule you in this circumstance. I believe that, looking at your faces, many of you have families who are suffering. The economy is down. The newsprint you use is imported. The exchange rate is high. Industrialisation of the country is a must. That is why we must behave true to our education. It is disgraceful that we are not living up to it; despite the fact that we are educated and sophisticated and we have the capacity to compete. Knowledge is money; commitment is virtue. Ethnic difference is not what will put bread on the table of the people. Poverty has no trade mark. Let’s work our way out. Hard work will take us out of this mess.
What is your reaction to the complain that many Lagosians have not voted, hours after the commencement of the exercise?
There are many areas that are affected. There are various problems. We should be patient. What I will call for is that INEC should take a decision to extend. Equally, they should take responsibility for issuing agents cards after the submission of their names. Not all agents were given these cards. We have cause to suspect what is going on. But, we will be patient. They have various delay problems in Alimoso, Ikeja, Mile 12, Magodo, Ogba, Maryland, Omole Phase II. We should believe in the institution that was set up with public fund to serve the public. INEC’s integrity depends on all of these. They can no longer give excuses. It is better for them to extend the voting time here in Lagos and ensure that they send various supervisors to the affected local governments. Rapid response is what is required. You don’t say a work in progress will be perfect in a day. But, majority of the people in the affected areas may be disenfranchised. That is my worry. If they are ready to vote and you call them to come and vote, you should not frustrate them. You call them out. They should exercise their civic rights. It will be a shame, if quick and remedial action is not taken to ameliorate the suffering of the people.
People are calling me from all areas. They started with the fraud that I sent text messages that people should vote for Jonathan. I didn’t. I have a record on my phone. I did not send any text message. I have made my number public so that people can even call and verify. They are doing this to convert or confuse people. What kind of leadership is this? What kind of character. A nation must be ruled by the people of great character, vision and responsibility.
We heard that INEC’s website is not functioning…
Americans, Germans, Europeans are the experts. They protect their websites effectively. Why all these dubious things in Nigeria? Are you proud? Why dubious information? Why fake text messages? They are trying to discredit the process and suppress the votes of Lagos State. It is not going to work.
NATION
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