Tinubu Not Dropping Out Of 2023 Race — Campaign Council

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Tuesday, September 13th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The APC Presidential Campaign Council has dismissed a report circulating on social media that its candidate in the 2023 election, Bola Tinubu, is planning to drop out of the race on health grounds.

The council, in a statement by one of its spokespersons, Festus Keyamo, described the report as “fake news” planted by supporters of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

The council said Mr Tinubu is fit and ready for the upcoming campaign for the election.

“We also wish to use this medium to debunk the false and misleading posts on various social media handles of supporters of Mr Peter Obi that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed

Tinubu is withdrawing from the race on h health grounds.

“This is nothing but a figment of their warped imaginations. Our candidate is strong, healthy and fit enough for the coming campaigns. The opposition will hear loud and clear from him soon,” Mr Keyamo said.

He also reacted to a viral video where Mr Obi attacked the former governor of Lagos State based on a WhatsApp message.

In the viral video, Mr Obi claimed that a Tinubu support group sent out a message urging Yoruba people not to vote for him based on ethnic sentiments.

The message which Mr Obi read out in the video said “Yoruba shine your eyes o, if you vote for Peter Obi, it is automatically voting for seaports in South-South and South-East. The Igbos will stop coming to Lagos State to invest, rather they will go to Delta and Rivers States, they may even stop building houses in Lagos. It will affect a lot of Yorubas. Yoruba ro nu o.”

Mr Keyamo said the message did not emanate from the council.

“Firstly, we vehemently deny the existence of any of such “Tinubu group” that made and circulated such a message. All groups supporting the APC Presidential Candidate and his running mate have clear designations with well-known promoters. In addition, it is only messages released by the APC Presidential Campaign Council that are officially authorised and for which we take responsibility,” he stated.

The team further criticised Mr Obi for making claims that can divide Nigerians along fault lines.

“We find it utterly disgusting, demeaning and insulting to the sensitivities and sensibilities of Nigerians for a presidential candidate of the ilk of Peter Obi to make such a video parroting a spurious, unverified and sham message that has the potential of deepening our faultlines as a nation and further promoting ethnic tensions,” Mr Keyamo said.