Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, is in the race for the Aso Rock top job alongside the likes of PDP’s Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi (Labour Party).
Although critics have expressed serious concern about his health status and mental capacity, the 70-year-old has dismissed the worries saying he is fit, sound, competent, and healthy to lead Nigeria.
Tinubu has on several occasions received a lot of criticism due to the gaffe he suffers while addressing his supporters.
Earlier this year, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, during the tussle for the APC ticket, Mr. Tinubu went gun blazing against everyone in his “Emi Lokan” rant.
Some of the victims of his diatribe included President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, who got the infamous title of Eleyi.
Often, his media handlers have to clarify the error and make corrections after the speeches.
His recent gaffe was at the party’s presidential campaign ground in Jos on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, where he suffered a slip of the tongue by mistakenly uttering the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) while he had his party in mind.
He said, “…I hand over back to the chairman of the party before he disciplines me for leaving the President waiting and keeping him standing. We are calling, inviting the national chairman to invite the President. At least to close this part of the ceremony. Thank you, God bless you, and God bless Nigeria. God bless PD…APC,” he said.
Pendulum Nigeria has compiled other moments the APC Presidential candidate, Tinubu goofed at public events, see below,
1. El-Rufai is an expert in turning a rotten situation to a bad one – Bola Ahmed Tinubu
On Monday, October 17, 2022, Bola Tinubu doubled down on his statement that Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai turned governance in the state from a rotten one to a bad one.
His words, “Some people need to understand idioms,” Tinubu said while addressing Arewa Joint Committee in Kaduna State. “When I said he turned a rotten situation to a bad one, it is an achievement”
2. Tinubu Goofs Again, Says Current PVCs Have Expired
On Saturday, April 16, 2022, while addressing supporters at a rally held to support his presidential ambition at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos, Tinubu urged his supporters to go and take part in the ongoing ‘new registration’ because “the PVC you have has expired”.
He said, “If you have no PVC if you have no revalidation of that PVC, you don’t know whether it has expired. Don’t forget that there is an expiry date even on your cashpoint so go and revalidate the card. Those of you who have not registered must go there. You can’t be part of 1.4 billion people on Instagram and have no card for God’s sake.
Speaking while addressing the women leaders of the party who paid him a visit in Abuja, Tinubu asked voters to obtain new PVCs.
Tinubu said: “In case they do not announce to you on time, the PVC you have has expired.
“Take one family member, two family members, knock on all doors, and make sure that the new registration… Because they may not announce it to you on time. The PVCs you have has expired. Yes!
“You need to spread it to various local governments and wards at each level. No matter how difficult it is. To me, I look at it closely and if you look at other elections being held, you will see that it’s diminishing because those cards (is) expired.
“It’s mandatory that you go and register to vote and achieve your aspirations. May God bless you and bless Nigeria.”
3. Recruitment of 50 million, instead of 50, 000 youths into security agencies
Pendulum Nigeria recalls that on the occasion of the 12th Bola Ahmed Tinubu Colloquium to mark his 69th birthday, while advocating national employment and a security policy that could stem the tides of insurgency, asked the Federal Government to recruit 50 million youths into the Army.
He said, “Recruit 50 million youths into the army, take away from their (the bandits’) recruitment source.
“What they will eat? Cassava, corn, yam in the afternoon… it is grown here. You create demand and consumption for over five million army of boot camps.”
In the video clip below, fast forward to 9 minutes 12 seconds to hear when he said so.
The comment raised eyebrows among Nigerians who wondered how almost one in four citizens could be drafted into the army with the country’s population of about 205 million.
But a statement signed by Tunde Rahman for the Tinubu Media Office explained that the 50 million figure was a mistake.
It said Tinubu intended to recommend the recruitment of 50,000 youths into various national security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Army
