Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a presidential aspirant, on Saturday congratulated former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on his election as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the 2023 presidential election, IgbereTV reports
Tinubu in a statement on Sunday, however noted that the former Vice President will have a hard time convincing Nigerians to trust him and his party, the PDP, given their experience under PDP for 16 years.
The former Lagos State Governor also praised the other contenders for behaving in an orderly and peaceful manner and for promising to rally behind the winner in the spirit of democratic sportsmanship.
In the upcoming 2023 presidential election, Tinubu expects the former Vice President, who was also the PDP’s presidential candidate in 2019, to be a worthy opponent.
While congratulating the PDP candidate on his candidacy, Tinubu stated that the upcoming election should focus on subjects that will improve Nigerians’ quality of life, provide peace, progress, and political stability, and address the country’s sociopolitical concerns and insecurity.
The statement from the APC presidential aspirant read, “I welcome the victory of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the just concluded primary. I look forward to squaring up with him as a worthy opponent in the coming election. I have known the former Vice President as a formidable politician and a patriot who believes in the unity and progress of our dear country.
“As we move further into the election season, I charge the PDP presidential candidate and all political actors across party lines that we should make this election season one that is devoid of bitterness, rancour and strife.
“We should make our campaigns peaceful and issue-based. Election season should be a festival of ideas that will uplift our country and improve the living condition of all our people.
“Unfortunately for the PDP, its candidate will be burdened to explain why Nigerians should give it another opportunity, after squandering 16 years at the central government, without much to show.
“Nigerians are yet to forget the national ruin and mismanagement of our country for 16 years by successive PDP administration and this bad memory will dog the campaign of the PDP Candidate.
“Nevertheless, I once again congratulate our former Vice President for his victory in his victory in his party’s primary
