Buhari again drums support for Tinubu in Sokoto

President Muhammadu Buhari has again drummed support for the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the candidate is his long term ally.

Speaking separately at the palace of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, and at the APC campaign rally in Sokoto, the president said Asiwaju had demonstrated capacity and would do well if elected to lead the country.

“He understands Nigeria very well and he is ever supportive of people wherever they may have come from in Nigeria,” the president told the Sultan.

I have gone with him to Nasarawa and Katsina and I am here with him today. I will also go with him to any other place. He is the candidate of our party. He emerged from a clearly transparent primary election. We therefore have to follow him as the flagbearer of the party.”

Appealing to the Sultan for support, the president said: “We are here to seek support and help. I am sure we will get the needed help.”

President Buhari, who was visibly elated, expressed appreciation to the mammoth crowd for the rousing reception, defying the scorching sun to attend the event.

Presenting Tinubu to the electorate, Buhari urged them to support him and extend his appeal for support for the APC candidate to all other residents.

At both the palace and at the rally, Tinubu expressed appreciation to the leaders and people of Sokoto for the warm reception, promising to acquit himself creditably if given the mandate.

Describing Sokoto as a home for him, the APC candidate appealed for support, urging voters to disregard the antics of other candidates.

“In 2015, the new leaders came to sweep the dirt away with a broom. But the dirt is still left on the ground. We said we need to clean some more. I applied to be the vacuum-cleaner so we can clean the dirt,” he told the cheering crowd.

“We promised we will work hard. We will eliminate corruption. We will eradicate the madness called  kidnapping. We willl work hard to clean Nigeria of rubbish.

“We promise you better education, job opportunities and better market for our agricultural produce that will make you and your children happy,” he said.

In his speech, the APC vice presidential candidate, Senator Kashim Shettima, challenged PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar to name eight projects he accomplished in the North and eight persons he mentored in his eight years as vice president.