All Progressives Congress (APC) national stalwart Asiwaju
Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday urged the citizenry to keep praying for President
Muhammadu Buhari’s recovery to full health.
Speaking in Kano during a condolence visit to Kano State
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje over the death of Dan Masani Kano, Alhaji Maitama
Sule, Tinubu said “there is nothing anybody can do in the face of health
challenge”.
He said: “The President did not lie to us. He told us he was
ill; and he needs to take care of himself. I don’t see any crisis about this
situation. We are a nation that is very humane, honest, compassionate, and
resilient. We take care of our own neighbours.”
The one-time Lagos State governor added: “I am not a member
of presidential cabinet, but I am a member of his party and I am a Nigerian.
All we can do is to pray for him.”
On the feud between the Presidency and the National
Assembly, Tinubu said he did not see any crisis there.
He said: “Honestly, I don’t see any problem in the crisis
between the legislature and executive because we are in politics and in
politics, there is an inbuilt conflict resolution mechanism.
“Crisis, argument and communication are part of politics and
there is a self-corrective process.
“The National Assembly is there to voice their objective or
objection. It is constitutional to take
action against the opposition while the executive is to do the job of
executive. They don’t have to be dog and nick to one another.
‘But for the peace, unity, prosperity, harmony and progress
of the country, they have to work together; they are co-joined twins. No one
can consume one another. If they play the politics well, Nigeria will be better
for it.”
Tinubu, accompanied by among others House of Representatives
member James Faleke and a former Minister of State (Defence) Demola Seriki,
paid glowing tributes to the late Sule, Malam Yusuf Ali and Ganduje, who he
endorsed for second term.
Tinubu said: “It is a great honour and privilege for me to
be here today. It has been very tough in the last few years. I grew up in the
hands of two people, who knew me to my home. One of them is Dan Massanin Kano,
who has just passed on.
“The other is a living legend, Malam Yusuf Ali. In fact, my
bedroom, where I am sleeping today, he has slept there; and he has been a great
guiding light for me. He lost his brother; he lost a son, not too long ago. I
have not been able to come and be with him.
“It is only God who gives and he takes. We cannot change any
date of calendar as written by God almighty. God will continue to be with you
and console you. You will live long for us.
“And incidentally, I will repeat this when we get to the
Government House. Our brother, Ganduje, Your Excellency, you are saying eight
years, some people are saying 12 years; but if you put comma in any line of the
constitution, that is an amendment.
“So, I endorse eight years, we are with it, and with all our
body and soul. You are a great man – and you are a very very loyal man. We have
been planning to come to condole with you because of Dan Masani. It is not just
a Kano bereavement, but a national bereavement. We should condole with you and
the people of Kano State because you are bereaved.
“One thing that we must note in His Excellency, Governor
Ganduje is this – he is one of the most straightforward, dependable
individuals. When you agree on something, or in the words of Donald Trump, ‘do
a deal with him,’ you can go to sleep because you will be the one to break that
accord, not him.
“Ganduje, I want to say thank you. You are so humble, so
dependable. You are a friend that is completely flexible. You have the
understanding of family and friendship.
“So, if you say eight years, yes; before you add the other
four years, I say watch – that other four years, maybe as a governor, maybe as
a president. So, we will wait, let’s amortise the eight years first.”
Ganduje thanked Tinubu for his visit and prayed that God
would forgive the sins of the departed.
THE NATION
He indeed needs our prayers
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