The Sokoto State Governor and a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Aminu Tambuwal, has described President Muhammadu Buhari as an analogue leader who lacks the required capacity to rule modern Nigeria, stating that it would be unfortunate for Nigerians to vote Buhari for a second term.
Tambuwal stated this in Akure, the Ondo State capital, when he met some delegates of the PDP ahead of the presidential primary of the party.
He said, “He (Buhari) is not digitally compliant to run a complex country like Nigeria with ethnic and cultural diversities and Nigerians cannot afford to cope with an analogue President like Buhari.
“It is obvious that this government is analogue and in this 21st century, we need a government that is being headed by somebody that understands issues of today, 21st century.”
Tambuwal also alleged that the South-West and other southern regions of the country were being marginalised by the Buhari administration, noting that the development had led to distrust among the ethnic nationalities in the country.
“I know what Nigerians need. I have the experience to run a complex country like Nigeria. I will use my good offices to distribute appointments and projects to all sections of the country.
“I will liaise with the National Assembly to reach the grass roots; I will use the identified needs of the people to prepare the budget. You do not sit in your office and assume what the people need,” the presidential aspirant stated.
He assured the delegates that he would correct the imbalance in the polity if allowed to fly the flag of the PDP and eventually wins the 2019 presidential election.
Tambuwal said he believed that the PDP presidential primary would not lead to a crisis among the aspirants of the party.
He said all the presidential aspirants in the PDP were united in the quest to end the rule of Buhari-led APC government.
Meanwhile, Tambuwal has pledged to tackle what he described as “secrecy, lack of transparency and impunity” in the manner Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) handles the country’s oil earnings.
He said the NNPC has constituted itself into a government of its own and operates as if it was not accountable to anyone.
“The states are continually shortchanged by the Federal Government and NNPC. But all that will change when I’m elected president because I will take on the issues of secrecy in NNPC accounting system and ensure that there is transparency, fiscal discipline so that Nigerians know the true state of things in the corporation’s operations in terms of the revenue accruable to the nation,” Tambuwal was quoted as saying in a statement issued at the weekend in Calabar, Cross River State.
The aspirant spoke while visiting Governor Ben Ayade as part of his nationwide consultations over his aspiration to win the PDP ticket in its presidential primary.
Promising his readiness to ensure that power is devolved more to the states, Tambuwal, in the statement by his media office, said: “The issue of reviewing revenue allocation formula is key to the development of the nation. The states need more funding in order to bring more meaningful development to the people across the nation. So, we will work hard to do this by making sure that the states get their fair share of allocation.”
He promised that should he be elected president, “by the Grace of God, I guarantee that we shall assemble team of competent Nigerians from all parts of the Federation to serve our fatherland and also go out there and restore our dignity in the comity of nations”.
Ayade hailed Tambuwal for his “humility and strength of character”, which, he said, work for him and endear him to people across ethnic, religious, political and social divides.
The governor said should Tambuwal address the accounting NNPC problems, “he must have solved 60 per cent of Nigeria’s problems”.