Tinubu has abandoned Folarin – Akinjide

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Oyo State, Chief Jumoke Akinjide, has berated the presidential candidate of the All Peoples Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing the 70-year-old of being selfish and insensitive to the plight of Nigerians.

The former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory said Tinubu is only interested in his mandate and not the suffering of Nigerians.

Akinjide said this on Saturday when she was featured on a Lagelu FM 96.7 programme, ‘Bose n lo’, anchored by Temitayo Oyeladun and monitored online by the PUNCH.

While commenting on Tinubu’s visit to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Akinjide said the visit is a sign that the APC presidential candidate has abandoned the governorship candidate of his party in the state, Sen. Teslim Folarin.

She said, “Tinubu is a National leader of the APC but didn’t complain about the suffering of Nigerians in almost eight years (of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)’s regime) but he’s only complaining now because his party’s policies are threatening his ambition.

“Tinubu came to Ibadan and visited Governor Seyi Makinde, heaping praises on him and acknowledging the achievement of the party (PDP) in the state. He got to Mapo Hall and just handed the flag to the party standard-bearer without a word of campaign for himself or the gubernatorial candidate of the party.”

Akinjide said that was a sign Tinubu has subtly abandoned the candidate of his party and supported the candidate of the PDP.

She also lamented Tinubu’s snub of the Olubadan-in-Council, who waited all day in expectation of welcoming him.

“They (Tinubu and other APC chieftains) came to the state, went to the governor, to Mapo, then went to meet with some Obas, here in Ibadan and went straight to the airport without visiting His Imperial Majesty, the Olubadan of Ibadan. That’s very bad. Even Presidents won’t do that” Akinjide lamented.

Responding to Akinjide’s allegations, a former deputy governor of the state, Engr Rauf Olaniyan, who also featured on the Lagelu FM programme, said the allegations are flimsy and that the ruling party in the state is more fragmented.

“If they deceive you don’t deceive yourself. Have you ever seen Akinjide follow Seyi to any campaign ground,” Olaniyan asked.

In response to allegations that Tinubu didn’t say a word at Mapo Hall, Olaniyan said, “Tinubu would have cried in appreciation of the reception he received in Oyo State if he made to speak. What more would you want him to say? The crowd was reassuring enough beyond words. Asiwaju had nothing more to say.” Olaniyan was the deputy governor to Engr Seyi Makinde but was impeached by the Oyo State House of Assembly.