Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday praised President Muhammadu Buhari for what he listed as his achievements in almost eight years.
Tinubu was speaking in Jos, Plateau State at the flag off of the party’s presidential campaign on Tuesday.
“Hope is Back,” Tinubu bellowed to the huge crowd that attended the rally held at the Jos Township Stadium.
Tinubu reminded Nigerians how terrorists held territories and gave Nigerian security agencies tough time.
He said these and many more made Nigerians to cry unto Buhari to accept to run again for the presidency.
The APC candidate said today, terrorists can no longer boast of holding any territory.
“Is that not a good thing to do?” Tinubu asked the crowd to which he got a deafening “Yesssss!”
Tinubu said Buhari had, by his presence at the rally, kept his promise to lead the campaign.
In attendance were Governors Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq (Kwara), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Abubakar Sani-Bello (Niger), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Prof. Ben Ayade (Crossrivers) Governors Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Lagos Deputy Governor Femi Hamzat, former Bauchi governor Mohammed Abubakar, former Ekiti governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, former governor of Borno, Modu Ali-Sheriff, and former Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi.
There were also Senator Oluremi Tinubu, wife of APC Presidential Candidate, Hajiya Nana Shettima, wife of the Vice Presidential Candidate Shettima, both of who also addressed the rally, and Dr. Ibijoke Sanwoolu, wife of Governor Sanwoolu of Lagos, ministers and members of APC National Working Committee.
“I am deeply honoured for the presence of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari. As campaign chairman, he promised to lead from the front. A man of his word, President Buhari has done what he said and more,” Tinubu said
He added, “Mr. President, you have provided exceptional service to the nation and party. Your contributions are both positive and enduring. When the history of this period is objectively written, it will smile upon you and treat you with utmost kindness.”
Reeling out the successes of the Buhari administration, Tinubu said there was massive development in the agricultural, infrastructure and power sectors in the last eight years of the APC government.
According to him, these foundations now require more builders to make it a massive structure, calling on all Nigerians to embark on the journey with him.
“Here, I thank president Buhari again because he has truly established a strong foundation for the things we are now to do.
“The Buhari administration achieved things in the agricultural, infrastructural, and power sector no other administration has done. Additionally, his government liberated hundreds of communities from terrorists and brought thousands of displaced persons back to their homes.
“Truly the foundation has been set. It is now time to call more builders forward to further construct the national edifice that will be our best home. We, the APC and the Tinubu/Shettima team, seek to make permanent a covenant of progressive good governance with the people,” he said.
He added, “Under this hopeful pact, we will assemble the best team.
“We shall build on progress in the agricultural sector by establishing commodity boards guaranteeing minimal prices for strategic crops.
“We shall create agricultural and industrial hubs in all zones.
“You shall also see water catchment and irrigation systems to help farming while mitigating the dire effects of drought and flooding brought about by a changing climate.
“We will encourage urban employment through a national industrial plan that employs a series of measures including tax and employment credits.
“We will deepen the knowledge economy. Millions of the tech savvy, innovative youth will benefit as will our overall economy. talented youth will find a place in our government.
“We will bring greater power through natural gas and reasonable reform of the entire power sector.
“Our government will continue the infrastructural expansion so the overall economy may continue to expand in lockstep.
“Most importantly, I will give utmost priority to extinguishing terrorists and violent criminals. We shall augment our military, police and security personnel while providing them with better tactical communication and mobility. We will employhi-tech aerial surveillance to track and attack these menaces.
“These evil forces seek to destroy our democratic way of life. I have news for them. We will defeat their destructive way of life. They shall be utterly defeated and vanquished from our soil.”
Addressing the rally earlier, both the National Chairman of the party adamu Abdulahi, and the Chairman, Progressives Governors’ Forum who is also the governor of Kebbi, Bagudu, commended President Buhari for his achievements, saying he would be leaving behind important legacies in democracy, good governance, infrastructure development and economic growth particularly in the area of agriculture and food security.
The Director-General of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaigns and governor of Plateau, Hon. Simon Lalong, said Tinubu who is described as City Boy of Lagos is now City Boy of the Plateau.
When President Buhari was invited to the stage, he presented the party’s flag to Tinubu to formally present him to Nigerians as the symbol of the party in the coming presidential election.