2019: APC needs no violence to win, says Tinubu

’Atiku failed to help Lagos when Obasanjo seized LG
allocations’
*Defeat already staring at those crying wolf in face

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) does not have to
engage in violence to win the forthcoming elections,Co-chairman of
its Presidential Campaign Council, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu said on
Friday.

Tinubu who was responding to allegations from certain quarters
that the APC was preparing ground for violence during the elections
said those making such allegations were already sniffing their
defeat at the polls.

He said the cries of violence were also indications that those
making the allegations had already conceded defeat even before the
first ballot was cast in the election.

The APC leader spoke to reporters after a meeting with
traditional rulers from the South West in Abuja.

The traditional rulers were led by the Ooni of Ife,Oba Adeyeye
Ogunwusi

Tinubu said neither the party nor its presidential
candidate,Muhammadu Buhari, wanted any Nigerian to a victim of
violence during the elections and therefore did not need any form
of violence to win the election.

The APC,he pointed out ,was working hard to win the elections
while those alleging violence were busy looking for excuses for
their impeding defeat.

On his meeting with the obas,Tinubu said: “the royal fathers
spoke of the need for a peaceful election. When you have the belief
that you can get a proper result, you work hard because you want
peace.

“When you believe that you can win, you don’t want violence. We
all love our children, our brothers and our followers and none of
us would want our followers to become sacrificial lambs. “We won’t
encourage violent disruption of any election because we are
confident of winning. Those who are crying wolf before the election
have already accepted defeat before the election as far as I am
concerned.

“I am very happy and proud of the very promising situation. When
you have the endorsement of your royal fathers, it means you have
the people with you and the voice of the people is the voice of
God. I am elated.”

The APC Leader appreciated the royal fathers for their support
and for not giving up on the APC and for visiting the President to
encourage him.

Taking a fresh broadside at Alhaji Atiku Abubakar,the PDP
Presidential candidate,Tinubu said he (Atiku) did nothing to help
Lagos State as Vice President when the Obasanjo government seized
its local government allocations , but merely asked them to go and
comply with Obasanjo’s directives.

He said: “Atiku was Vice President of this country when the
local government allocation for Lagos state was seized.

“When we led a protest to Atiku then, he said ‘go away. Go and
comply.’ Without the allocation, you cannot bring development.

“When we said we needed power to power Lagos and the industrial
base in our region, they said no.

“They were taking away N250 million from our allocation every
month for being innovative and creative.

“Everywhere we turned, they rejected us and punished us. But we
never gave up.

“Today, we are in that progressive development championed and
led by President Muhammadu Buhari. Thank you for not looking back.
Thank you for visiting and encouraging him.”

Tinubu also spoke on his reported collapse on Monday after the
inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council.

His words: “Fake news and whoever is manufacturing it, you
better not believe them.”

He also described as negative and fake news, reports of alleged
boycott of the campaign council by APC governors.

He said:“The point is: the governors had to stay back home
because we all don’t have to converge in one place to decide
certain modalities when we can easily go back to them on what was
discussed and what we expect from your state. That is what we call
structuring in an election. There are some jellyfish reporters
around Nigeria these days.”

At the meeting, Oba Ogunwusi said as royal fathers, traditional
rulers would, therefore, continue to preach peace and peaceful
coexistence.

The Oni said :“My message to Nigerians in this time of election
is peace, peace and peaceful coexistence all the way.

“The power of every Nigerian and every electorate lies in the
thumb.

“As traditional rulers, we are fathers to all and in playing
that role, we pray that there should be peace in this country.

“ That is what we are preaching and it is very important to all
of us to know than Nigeria is greater than any of us. So, we should
continue to preach peace and identify with good things that will be
beneficial to the nation. That is why we are here.”

The traditional rulers who had earlier visited the President
also included the Alake of Egbaland Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo; the
Alayemore of Ido Osun, Oba Aderemi Adedapo; the Deji of Akure, Oba
Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade; the Ayangburen of Ikorodu Oba Kabiru
Shotobi; the Olukare of Ikare Akoko, Oba Akadiri Momoh 1V, and the
Oloye of Oye Ekiti Oba Michael Oluwole Ademolaju Adugbole III.