Presidential Candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Bola Tinubu has described the Edo state Governor, Godwin Obaseki as a nitwit and a misfit for the office he currently occupies.
Tinubu was reacting to comments by Obaseki that Nigeria would break up should the APC win the next presidential election.
Obaseki had also reportedly described the APC as a failure, alleging that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration now prints money and gives to states as their monthly share from the Federation Account.
Read more: Lagos set to commission 3 newly built fire stations, 62 fire fighting equipment
“While inaugurating the Edo State chapter of the already-destined-to-fail Peoples Democratic Party’s Presidential Campaign Council yesterday in Benin, the underperforming, ever loquacious Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki betrayed his oath of office by wishing for the break up of our country because of his brand of crash partisanship”, Tinubu stated.
Tinubu in the statement by the Director, Media and Publicity of his presidential campaign council, Mr Bayo Onanuga noted that Obaseki told “his band of jesters that Nigeria will break up if our party, the All Progressives Congress wins the 2023 presidential election”.
He said he and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima have demonstrated their combined capacities and competencies as Governors of Lagos and Borno States where they both provided purposeful and transformational leadership.
Speaking about Obaseki, Tinubu said; “For a man who swore an oath of allegiance to the sovereignty and unity of Nigeria to be a purveyor of ill-will towards the same country because of partisan politics smirks of total irresponsibility and recklessness unbecoming of a governor who has a constitutionally sanctioned duty to preserve the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria.
Read more: Atiku absent in the 2022 Voice of Women (VOW) conference
“It is worth stating that we are not in any way surprised about Obaseki’s outburst about Nigeria’s breaking. He is, by nature, a divisive, obnoxious and toxic human being that lacks introspection and contemplation expected of a person occupying the office of a governor. He is obviously a man bereft of any iota of emotional intelligence and perhaps a misfit for the role he currently occupies.
Tinubu stated that the CBN has never printed money to pay Federal Allocations to states as claimed by Obaseki.
“This much was publicly stated by the Governor of CBN and Minister of Finance. In any case, there is nothing strange or unusual in a sovereign nation printing money when it has to be done because it is one of the core mandates of Central Banks all over the world as lender of last resort”, he said.
Tinubu explained that nations embark on such moves when they are in difficult present situation, as the whole world has been confronted with since 2019 with COVID-19 pandemic that put the global economy on tailspin.
Read more: Why Peter Obi remains most credible candidate – Udeogaranya
He said sovereign nations had to do what they needed to do in response to an existential crisis as COVID-19 ravaged economies, shut down factories and companies.
“Obaseki should know by now that Nigerians do not want to have anything to do with his party and Atiku. And the signs are there for all to see: Obaseki’s PDP cannot even rescue itself from internal implosion”, Tinubu declared.
