President Bola Tinubu has challenged his political opponents in the January 16 presidential election, questioning their political influence and leadership credentials, while urging voters in Ekiti State to give him at least 90 per cent of the votes.
Tinubu said his opponents lacked the political strength and leadership experience to match his credentials, insisting that his administration had delivered on several promises made during the 2023 presidential election.
The President, represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, spoke on Thursday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally held at Ekiti Parapo Pavilion in Ado-Ekiti.
He said his second-term ambition was aimed at consolidating the achievements recorded by his administration over the past three years and accelerating national development.
Appealing to Ekiti voters, Tinubu urged them to give him not less than 90 per cent of the votes cast in the forthcoming presidential election.
He also claimed to have fulfilled some of the promises made to the people of the state ahead of the 2023 election, particularly in the areas of federal appointments and infrastructure development.
The President praised Governor Biodun Oyebanji for bringing together political leaders across party lines following the June 20 governorship election, describing the development as an indication of effective political leadership.
Taking a swipe at his opponents, particularly the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Tinubu questioned the former vice-president’s political standing in Adamawa State.
He cited the support of former and serving governors from Adamawa for his administration, arguing that political relevance at the grassroots and home state remained important indicators of electoral strength.
“Let me speak briefly about those who are contesting against us. Let us analyse Adamawa State, for instance: we have had five governors since 1999 in that state, and not a single one is standing with Alhaji Abubakar Atiku.
“Is Governor Umaru Fintiri with him? No. Are former Governors Boni Haruna, Bala Ngilari, Murtala Nyako and Bindow Jibrilla with him? No. None of them is standing with him. All these political giants are standing with President Tinubu,” he said.
He added: “If you can’t control your own state, if you are not relevant in your state, how can you now be relevant elsewhere?”
Tinubu further questioned Atiku’s ability to attract support across other states, including Osun, Ogun, Kaduna, Lagos and Rivers.
Highlighting his administration’s achievements in Ekiti, the President said the Ado-Ikere-Akure road had been completed, while contracts had been awarded for the reconstruction of the Ado-Ijan-Iluomoba-Ikare and Ado-Aramoko-Ita Ore roads.
He also cited the establishment of a federal university at Iyin-Ekiti as part of efforts to expand access to higher education and create opportunities for young people.
According to him, students of Ekiti State University and Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology are also benefiting from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund established by his administration.
The President said another four years in office would provide an opportunity to deepen ongoing reforms and advance the country’s development.
Earlier, the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, urged Ekiti residents and Nigerians to support Tinubu and other candidates of the party in the forthcoming elections.
Yilwatda attributed the President’s re-election bid to what he described as his performance, reform initiatives and commitment to national development.
He commended the large turnout at the rally, describing it as evidence of public confidence in the APC and its Renewed Hope Agenda.
The APC chairman said the rally provided an opportunity to present the party’s candidates for the presidency, National Assembly and state House of Assembly elections, while reaffirming its determination to sustain its leadership.
He described Tinubu as a performer and reformer, highlighting the administration’s tax reforms, which he said were designed to protect low-income earners and small businesses from unnecessary tax burdens.
Yilwatda also identified the Nigerian Education Loan Fund as a major intervention in expanding access to higher education and ensuring that financial difficulties did not prevent qualified students from pursuing their academic ambitions.
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On infrastructure, he pointed to federal road projects linking Ado-Ekiti and Akure, alongside other completed and ongoing projects, as evidence of the administration’s commitment to improving transportation and economic activities.
He urged voters to support APC candidates across all elective positions to ensure effective collaboration with the President in sustaining reforms and accelerating development.
Similarly, the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Abdulaziz Yari, appealed to Ekiti voters to deliver at least 800,000 votes for Tinubu, which he said would represent approximately 90 per cent of registered voters.
Yari described Tinubu as a seasoned leader and democrat, arguing that another four-year tenure would enable him to complete his restructuring programmes and consolidate democratic and economic reforms.
He also claimed that the administration had recorded improvements in food prices, citing reductions in the prices of sorghum, rice, millet, maize and other food commodities.
Yari urged voters in Ekiti, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Oyo and Lagos states to support the President, adding that political support received from Tinubu in previous elections should be reciprocated at the polls.
He maintained that the President deserved another term to continue steering the country’s affairs and delivering development across the country.
