By Bala Ibrahim
THE indefatigable Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has today turned Damaturu, the capital city of Yobe state, into a dreamy and delightful city, courtesy of his tour, where, along with President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Chairman of the party, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu and the Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan, his campaign of renewed hope to the people, gingered everyone to elation.
Also in attendance at the rally was the Governor of Plateau state and Director General of the Tinubu/Shetima Presidential campaign council, H.E. Simon Lalong, that of Borno state, H.E. Babagana Zulum, H.E. Badaru Abubakar of Jiigawa state, H.E. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi state and H.E. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe stage.
The presence of the trio of President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Chairman of the party Sen. Abdullahi Adamu and the presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not only prove the sceptics wrong, with regards to energy and agility, but also shamed those peddling the rumour of rancour in the Asiwaju Presidential campaign council.
For the second time in two days, the President was visiting Yobe, all within the space of 24 hours. He was in Damaturu on Monday, after attending the APC presidential rally in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, to commission eight federal and state government projects, and again today, to promote the candidature of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC.
At the massively attended rally today in Yobe, which had in attendance the Senate President Ahmed Lawan, as well as all the APC Governors of the north east, President Muhammadu Buhari told the people of Yobe to vote massively for Tinubu in the next month’s presidential election, because he is the person capable of continuing the work of rebuilding Nigeria, which he started over seven years ago. “I accompany Asiwaju here to tell you to vote for him so that he can continue with my legacy of rebuilding Nigeria,” – PMB.
On his part, the National chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Turakin Keffi, started with an apology for arriving late. And indeed whoever knows the Turaki, would attest to the fact that punctuality is a significant doctrine that governs his behaviour.
He told the massive crowd that he came by road from Maiduguri, the experience of which gave him the opportunity to see first hand, the magnitude of damage, destruction and desolation, suffered by the region as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency.
The chairman therefore called on the people to register special gratitude to God and ample appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari, who armed, equipped and motivated the security agents to fight the Boko Haram menace tooth and nail. Accordingly, he charged the people of the region to vote massively for the APC.
When called upon, and introduced by the National chairman as Nigeria’s President in waiting, God’s willing, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, seized the opportunity to show case his dazzling dancing skills. For minutes, and to the sustained ovation of the crowd, who kept chanting and singing the slogan of the Jagaban, Asiwaju Tinubu was dancing with thrills.
He wasted no time in thanking and praising President Muhammadu Buhari for the newly commissioned Yobe Cargo airport, which he promised to use to boost agriculture in the state if elected.
He also commended the president and security agencies for the success recorded in the battle against insecurity. He said it was an indication of the marked improvement in the security situation in the northeast, that made him spend Monday night in Yobe.
“Harnessing our agricultural endowment is more than an economic desire. It is a matter of national security. We need to further guarantee our food security to better ensure social stability and lay the groundwork for even more economic progress. We will establish agricultural hubs and irrigation and water catchment systems to assist farmers throughout the nation.
Yields and harvests will increase. More importantly, we will encourage value-added agro-processing businesses that will foster greater economic activity creating well paid jobs and bringing better products to local markets and to your family’s dinner table.
We will invest in the individual small farmer. You will earn a good and guaranteed income through the establishment of Commodity Exchange boards that will ensure an acceptable price for the crops you laboured so hard to grow”.
So, again, like the trending tours of the Tinubu/Shetima campaign train everywhere, today’s outing, had not only turned Yobe agog, but made Damaturu delightful and dreamy, because of the arrival of the August visitors, in January.
Ibrahim is the director, publicity for the APC.