President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, continued his nationwide campaign for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with a visit to the Katsina Emirate Council, where he asked the Emir and the Council to mobilise their people for the election of Tinubu during the February 25, 2023 presidential poll.
The President, according to a release by his spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, pledged full support for Tinubu while calling on the Emir of Katsina, Abdulmumini Kabir Usman and Emirate Council to mobilise for the political leader.
Speaking during a courtesy call on the Emir, Buhari said, "We are here to present our candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Asiwaju has been chosen by our party, and we are fully in support of his candidature, and we will work for his victory at the polls," he said.
The president used the opportunity of the visit to personally condole the leaders and citizens of the state following the recent terrorist attack on vigilantes in Bakori Local Government area of the state, in which many lives were lost.
He said his administration would continue to listen to wise counsels from experts, traditional rulers and political leaders on the economy, and would adopt best practices in safeguarding the interest of the people.
"I hope citizens of the country, and indigenes will remember what the Governor of Katsina State, and the Emir of Katsina said about the polity, and situation in the country. I will not want to add more," he said.
Earlier, Governor Aminu Bello Masari commended the President for introducing a social security structure that directly impacted the lives of citizens, with direct transfer of funds to people, and a school feeding programme that encouraged more children to enroll.
He said, "The president has approved more than N38 billion that went straight to improve the lives of citizens here, and we saw the difference. He didn't put money in the hands of the rich and privileged so that they could undermine the poor and vulnerable. He reached out directly.
"The president has worked for the interest of the country and citizens. We cannot compare the opportunities he got with the previous administrations. And yet, we can see the difference in terms of results in infrastructure, and growth of the economy. It is unfair and uncharitable to compare someone who was given a N1000 with another person that got a N100. Yet, you can see the result."
The Governor expressed sympathy to families of vigilantes who were ambushed and slain by terrorists.
"The terrorists have behaved like animals. And animals are even better than them in many ways. Animals will only kill their kin when hungry, but terrorists have slain without purpose," Masari noted.
According to him, the ambush and killing of vigilantes in the state will be investigated, and those involved will face the law.
The Governor urged citizens to avoid politicians that have been flagging the ethnic and religious cards.
Masari, however, presented Tinubu to the Emirate, noting that his record of service in Lagos State, and the nation remains commendable.
"Lagos State had a poor security record, with cases of attacks, robberies and dead bodies on streets, until Asiwaju took over leadership in 1999. The state has been transformed, with infrastructure and earned a reputation as one of the fastest growing cities in the world. The state is now a centre of excellence, because of the vision of the APC presidential candidate, " Masari added.
Also speaking, the APC presidential candidate condoled with President Buhari, Governor Masari and the Emirate Council over the terrorist attacks, promising that loved ones will be catered for, and efforts will be made to apprehend the masterminds of heinous crimes in the country.
"We will not forget them. We will not forget their children and the parents left behind. No leader will be happy to see citizens slaughtered or hear of it. It is sad, painful and tortuous," he said.
According to Tinubu, the peace and stability of the nation remained a collective responsibility.
"Thank you for the prayers and support. You promised to be behind the President like a rock of Gibraltar and you have done so. The President brought me here, and he has brought me home. I can say welcome home, because I am at home here," he stated.
The Emir of Katsina thanked Buhari for presenting Tinubu to the Emirate Council and citizens of Katsina, assuring them that they would pray and mobilise for victory at the polls.
He appealed to the President to look into the challenges posed by currency swap, adding that the "pain of the people, should be the pain of leadership."
Meanwhile, the APC presidential roadshow and programmes of celebration were yesterdaycanceled in Katsina in the wake of the Bakori tragedy.
The mega rally in which Buhari and Tinubu, were star attractions was tamed as speaker after speaker took to the microphone to express sorrow over the tragic killings.
Buhari, according to a statement by Shehu, led leaders, members and Tinubu in vilifying the evil of terrorism that has deprived many of loved ones, while prodding citizens to continue working collectively for the good of the state, and nation.
Governor Masari, who called for special prayers for repose of the souls of slain indigenes, more recently some vigilantes, thanked Tinubu for donating N100 million to the families of all those who were affected by the attacks.
"Leadership is not a joke. We should pray and support our leaders. The choice before us in the forthcoming elections is between light and darkness. We have a choice to move our state, and nation, or take it backwards.
"Separate yourselves from liars and jokers. We have seen these people and we know them; they gather people and deceive them. We would not be dealing with Boko Haram and bandits today if they had provided the right leadership in the past," he said.
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APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, said the party would continue on the path of patience and steadfastness in growing the state and the nation.
"We are, indeed, in very peculiar times. We are facing many challenges that require wisdom, patience and steadfastness to overcome," he added.
Tinubu, on his part, said, "Yesterday, we discussed whether we should continue or cancel the rally. If we had cancelled, they will appear to have achieved their aim.
"Nothing happens in life without the will of the Almighty Allah. We will continue with our rallies, and ignore the killers. They have committed a heinous crime before God and against humanity. No religion or society will tolerate killing of the innocent.
"We share in the pain, and sorrow of loss. Only Allah can soothe the pains of the widows and widowers, and all the loved ones. The killers have not won, and they will never win. The wicked shall perish. We will defeat the troublers of Nigeria," he said.
Director General of the APC Presidential Campaigns and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, however, urged Katsina indigenes to continue their support for the governing party, while commiserating with families of the vigilantes.
