yesterday, accused President Goodluck Jonathan and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of plotting to destabilise the newly formed All Progressives Congress, APC.
He also said members of the newly-formed APC paved the way and gave President Jonathan and his team the courage to visit the violence-ravaged Borno State.
Tinubu argued that members of APC went to Borno and Yobe states, against all odds and security reports allegedly orchestrated by PDP to distract the 11 APC governors that visited the state, after which the president visited the state.
The former Lagos State governor spoke through ACN’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, at the commissioning of Apapa-Iganmu Local Council Development Area, LCDA, ultra-modern council secretariat, at Ijora Badia, Lagos.
He said: “APC is not two months old yet, but Jonathan has since then became uncomfortable. For several years, he has refused to visit Maiduguri, but because some of our governors in the APC visited the place and they were welcomed, he also decided to visit the place.
“Eventually he was disgraced. He went there to say what he was not supposed to say. The President got to know that our APC governors were going to visit Borno and Yobe so they told the SSS to convince us not to go there due to security threats.
‘PDP sponsored APCs’
“We went there without any issues and we donated N200 million to the people. We discovered that PDP is behind all the sponsored APCs that have surfaced since we formed our party.
“The original APC was formed on February 6 and we no longer have six governors. They are now 11.
On the threats from by the newly-formed APC, Tinubu said PDP had used all forms of antics to discourage them against the party and that they would not work.
He also stressed that APC was in alliance with Governor Rochas Okorochas of Imo State’s APGA and “not the PDP version of APGA.”
He said: “They have been talking about other fake APCs, but we must let them know that the only recognised and original APC is the one formed by the ACN, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA; and All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP.
“We have alliance with the original APGA from Governor Rochas Okorocha and not the PDP version of APGA. Initially, they said the alliance won’t work and that there won’t be agreement between us.
“But we have put them to shame and now they are no longer comfortable. We are progressing and we are already out with our logo.”
Tinubu, however, used the occasion to disclose that the National Convention of ACN will hold on April 18.
He said: “By then we will let our members know and seek their indulgence to become APC. Afterwards, we will write the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to inform them that we have become APC.”
Lagos First Lady speaks
First Lady of Lagos, Mrs Abimbola Fashola, said the commissioning of the building further vindicated the decision to create additional local government under the leadership of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
She said: “Today’s celebration has further vindicated the decision to create additional local government under the visionary leadership of our father, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, National Leader of our party, Action Congress of Nigeria.
“Definitely, without any iota of doubt, governance has been brought closer to the people at the grassroots.
“As we celebrate the progress that has been recorded in governance at the local government level through the inauguration of this complex, it is very important for all staff who will occupy the office spaces, to be aware that the new conducive working environment must translate into effective and efficient service delivery.”
Chairman of Apapa-Iganmu LCDA, Samuel Adedayo, in his speech, urged Governor Babatunde Fashola to consider the interest of those affected by the demolition in Ilu Eri area of the LCDA, in the redevelopment plan assured by the state government.
He said: “It is indeed worrisome that in spite of our close proximity to the economic nerve centre of the nation, substantial number of our people still live in slums.
“There is so much prosperity around us yet our people live in abject poverty. The time for change is now and it begins with reorientation.”
