Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, has declared that mentioning the name of the deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, Funke Akindele, (in his presence) is an insult.
He said this when he met supporters at the Lagos APC secretariat on Acme Road in Ogba on Wednesday for the party’s caucus meeting.
Tinubu’s supporters in a song had compared the actress cum producer to an “ant” in the presence of the presidential candidate.
“…Who is Funke Akindele? (she is) an ant in the presence of the father of Lagos (Tinubu),” they sang in Yoruba.
Addressing the gathering in Yoruba, Tinubu said, “Don’t even behave as if you remember that name (Funke Akindele).
“It is a big insult, it is an abuse. A fowl wants to enter a house, it is bending down, how tall is it in the first place?”
However, a statement by Gboyega Akosile, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sanwo-Olu of the state, on Wednesday, said activities in the area were brought to a halt, as the Lagos APC leaders, Governor’s Advisory Council members and several party faithful received Tinubu.
Sanwo-Olu led all members of the State Executive Council to the meeting presided over by the Lagos APC chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi.
Tinubu told the gathering that he returned to his political base to meet the Lagos APC family stronger than he left it. He said those entrusted with the administration of the party affairs after he weaned himself off the supervisory duty had not made him regret his decision to pursue his presidential ambition.
Tinubu passed a vote of confidence on Sanwo-Olu and other party leaders for nurturing the APC political machinery in the state, stressing that the party remained unbeatable in Lagos.
He said, “I left Lagos for Abuja, leaving the party members with Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat, leaders of the Governor’s Advisory Council and other party leaders. They are the ones who released me to go to Abuja to contest. I left with many doubts and I was uncertain about what would be the fate of the party. I was constantly in touch with the Governor and his deputy.
“Sometimes, I would call the party chairman and ask them if we were doing the right thing in Lagos. The reports they always gave me, gave me more courage and confidence to move on with my engagement in Abuja. I thank all of our leaders for keeping the party stronger. I handed over to you an undefeated platform in Lagos. The manner with which the party affairs have been conducted shows these people have fairly managed the home base.”
Tinubu recalled that his journey to secure the party’s presidential nomination in Abuja was littered with uncertainties, but said the support raised from Lagos APC leadership boosted his confidence to move on and win the primary.
The party’s National Leader said he was in the presidential race to win, but said his fate was in the hands of the party members who, he said, must work hard to get votes for the party at the polls.
Tinubu urged party supporters to move out to the communities in their numbers and canvass voters. The work, he said, must start with the 57 local council chairmen, charging them to reach out to aggrieved members of the party at the grassroots in order to deliver more votes for APC at the general elections.
Sanwo-Olu said the APC in Lagos was facing the most critical election, noting that winning the presidency would be the biggest political prize to win.
The Governor told the party supporters not to rest on their oars, asking them to work for the party’s victory across boards.
He said, “Asiwaju has done several things for all of us in one form or the other. He has come to this same place to support several of us as governors, senators, House of Representatives, and House of Assembly members. He has done the assignments effortlessly in the past 23 years without asking for anything.
“God has now given us the unique opportunity today for us for the first time to also raise his hands up as our donation of the best in class to the entire country. I urge all of us to work for the victory of Asiwaju at polling unit by polling unit, ward by ward, and local government by local government.”
