Bola Tinubu, a former Governor of Lagos State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), may have taken a dig at former President Olusegun Obasanjo over the latter’s recent ‘special press statement‘ in which he asked President Muhammadu Buhari to go home and rest.
Speaking at the annual colloquium to mark his birthday, Tinubu made reference to a certain ‘bad belle letter’ written by one who achieved nothing when he was given the opportunity, though he didn’t actually mention Obasanjo by name.
“Thank you Nigerians for being patient with us. There’s a clear understanding here. There’s a clear difference between us and them (PDP), night and day,” Tinubu said.
“I want the economic minister to please give us a data, first quarter of year 2012 and for their 16 years.
“I remember my grandmother used to send me to a letter writer in the post office of those days and near the magistrate court. So somebody is writing letters these days, a letter of politics, as if they’ve never been there before. Bad belle letters.
“We want to focus. I don’t want to address that one today. I’ve gotten the most beautiful birthday present I needed, and I am happy.”
Tinubu said it is impossible to stop talking about the massive looting and corruption that was the order of the day throughout the 16 years that PDP stayed in power.
“If we are not talking about it, then what is the lesson to all Nigerians? he asked.
“We have to report to millions of Nigerians who voted for us that this is what we found, and we are not going to take it off the ground no matter how twisting the mind of PDP and their supporters may be.
“We’ll keep talking about it. You looted, you wasted our resources, you did not do what you promised. The market gave you the maximum, the production level was at the maximum, and there’s nothing.
“Yoruba say ‘aitete m’ole, ole n m’oloko’ (If you don’t catch the thief early enough, the thief will catch the farm owner).
“Thank you Nigerians for being patient with us. There’s a clear understanding here. There’s a difference between us and them, night and day.”
Shortly after Obasanjo’s special press statement, Ibrahim Babangida, former Military Head of State, also issued a statement, urging Buhari to allow younger Nigerians to move the country forward.
But Tinubu said both Obasanjo and Babangida are retired politicians and should be left to enjoy their retirement.
“I don’t address those shadows,” Tinubu had told journalists at the time..
“We should let our former presidents join retirees’ club and take pensions but they can participate in our politics if they are interested. It is a free world but this freedom is not served a la carte. They should allow us to move our country forward. It is a challenge to every Nigerian.”