The Labour Party PCC spokesman said, “Elections must be conducted in violence free environment and Tinubu saying things like this is really unpalatable barely three months to the presidential election.”
By Jeffrey Agbo
The Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has condemned a speech on grabbing political power made by the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, in a London restaurant.
Chief spokesman of the Labour Party’s PCC, Yunusa Tanko, said in an interview with reporters in Abuja on Thursday that Tinubu’s statement was capable of triggering violence in the 2023 general elections.
Tinubu had on Monday addressed the Chatham House think tank in London, outlining his vision on security, economy, and foreign policy ahead of the 2023 elections.
He noted his commitment to the values of democracy and called on all stakeholders to eschew all forms of electoral violence and malpractice and allow the will of the people to prevail.
The former governor of Lagos State also had a private meeting with members of APC UK immediately after his speech at Chatham House.
In a video that is now trending online, Tinubu told them, “Political power is not going to be served in a restaurant, it’s not served in A la carte. It’s what we’re doing. It’s being determined to do it. At all cost fight for it, grab it, snatch it.”
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Reacting to the statement, Tanko said, “This coming from a presidential candidate is too unpresidential, gentlemen of the press. How can a man who wants to govern over 200 million Nigerians use such words?
“I don’t think it’s appropriate to go to a civilised clime and start talking about power-grabbing in a UK restaurant for that matter and I very much doubt whether the APC presidential candidate has even bothered to sign the peace accord for 2023 polls.
“If he has done it, then his vituperation on grabbing power come what may is uncalled for because this is capable of making his supporters have that mindset on using violence to deliver votes.”
The Labour Party PCC spokesman added, “Elections must be conducted in violence free environment and Tinubu saying things like this is really unpalatable barely three months to the presidential election.
“It’s saddening to hear one of us the most experienced politicians in Nigeria talking in this manner and people were clapping and hailing him.”
