Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has offered an olive branch to his arch-rival, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential Candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), following the recent presidential election in Nigeria. In a statement issued by his campaign spokesperson and Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo SAN, Tinubu advised Atiku to accept the outcome of the election and be thankful that he came second, as his fate could have been worse.
Tinubu noted that Atiku’s claim that the election was neither free nor fair was baseless, and accused him of making derogatory comments about the President-elect, himself, in a fit of bitterness and frustration. He suggested that Atiku should be grateful for his performance, as he exceeded expectations by coming second despite campaigning with a fractured party.
Tinubu also criticized Atiku for breaching the zoning principle within his own party and for failing to unite the PDP and manage post-primaries fallout, which eventually led to his defeat. He stated that Atiku’s bid for the presidency was dead on arrival, as his ambition had fractured his party and made him unelectable. Tinubu offered Atiku an olive branch and urged him to relocate quietly to Dubai if he could not accept it.
Tinubu concluded by welcoming Atiku’s decision to challenge the outcome of the election and stated that his campaign team was prepared to meet the challenge anytime, anywhere.