2023 Presidency: ‘We Know His Scandals’–Tinubu’s Supporters Smell Defeat

All may not be well in the camp of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Mr Bola Tinubu, as some Nigerians continue to fault his ambition to run for president in 2023.

While no evidence of his alleged scandals have been brought into public view, some continue to accuse him of being corrupt and readily make reference to the bullion vans sighted in his Ikoyi ,Lagos home on the eve of the 2019 election.

Some have also questioned the source of his wealth, and his true age and his health status while some still claim his college certificates are fake.

While some of these allegations had been officially debunked as untrue, THE WHISTLER gathered that his supporters are worried that the allegations may damage his marketability as a presidential aspirant if they persist.

It is understood that youths, especially in Lagos, are also holding him for the alleged role he played in the deployment of armed security agents to the Lagos Tollgate during the ENDSARS protest. The Lekki tollgate was the epicentre of the protest and led to the killings of some unarmed protesters.

The tollgate is mamanged by the Lekki Concession Company Limited (LCC), a company linked to Tinubu. Consequently, the protesters have accused him of protecting his source of income by instructing authority to use force to disperse them.

His camp is sweating on the best approach to defend the man they credited with laying the foundation for Lagos development.

Following his declaration for president more than two weeks ago, many have continued to raise the issues, especially his alleged failing health, as reasons why he’s unfit to lead Nigeria.

Often, he is accused of opaqueness in defending himself.  His supporters too have been accused of toeing the same line of defence.

Recently, the Director General of the Tinubu Support Management Council, Mr Abdulmumin Jibrin, buckled and floundered to provide a response when asked on Arise TV, what Tinubu’s age was.

He however defended his evasiveness saying, “You can be a young man and be a bad leader, a young man well educated and be a bad leader and you can be an old man of 70 years even above and be a very good leader…The most important thing is capacity and competence.”

Jubrin was also forced to defend his principal’s source of wealth when speaking on Arise TV.

When asked how Tinubu made so much money that he had a bullion van in his home on election day, he responded: “When you continue to repeat the question, you will get the same answer. These are all trash from the internet that people put together and we will not elevate such conversation.

“But when the campaign commences, we will bring out facts and figures before Nigerians but we will not create a narrative for them,” he boomed.

Also, a former spokesman of the APC in Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe, said, “When you get to the US, the number one democratic nation, you have seen Trump, you know his age, you have Joe Biden, you know his age. Age has nothing to do with it, it’s just a number.

 “I don’t think he is older than Biden, I don’t think he is older than the former President Trump.

“He is 69, that’s his age. Even if he is 70, he is qualified, even if he is 80, he is qualified. So long as he is physically fit and he has the mental alertness to do the job.”

Also defending Tinubu, Igbokwe said of corruption allegation against Tinubu with reference to the  bullion van in his home, saying, “Bullion van is not peculiar to banks, it is not meant for the banks; people, companies use bullion vans to take money. If you hire them, it is not only cash that they take, they can carry gold, they can carry so many things, anything that is valuable they can carry, you pay.

“So, it is not peculiar to carrying money from banks only, you can carry private money, I have seen people who use bullion van to take private money. So, that one cannot stand.”

As the APC appears set to zone its presidential ticket to the South, Tinubu headlines the aspirants from the South West and appears set to be endorsed by the caucus of the party from the zone.

But the unending allegations have sent fears across his camp, with many supporters trying hard to defend him.

One of the leading campaigners for the Tinubu 2023 Presidency told The WHISTLER in confidence that it is indeed a worry for the Tinubu camp.

He explained that the group is not ignorant of the alleged scandals trailing the man, but pointed out that Tinubu had demonstrated his capacity to lead while he was governor of Lagos State.

“No Nigerian politician is without scandal. Tell me one and I will tell you ten of his scandals,” he challenged.

“While we know that, yes, our principal may have his scandals; he is a politician who has touched many lives on account of his service to the people while those accusing him have done nothing. Go to their states and see if they have anything to show for it.”

A Director General of one of Tinubu’s campaign groups said, “The constitution has not barred him from contesting. Let those saying he is corrupt or too old or ferried bullion van to his home come out and challenge him in the electoral battle field. Can they stand Tinubu?

“How many of them have remained relevant since 1999? They are jealous because they don’t know how to play politics.”

The former Lagos State governor has said he was tired of being a kingmaker and that he was ready to be the king, during his declaration.

While courting controversy, many groups continue to endorse his aspiration. His party, the APC, has scheduled February 26 as the day for its National Convention before the presidential primary.

One of his major campaigners vowed on Thursday that his “detractors shall be defeated” as nothing “can stop Asiwaju from being the APC presidential flagbearer,” regardless of how some perceive him.