Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, said on Wednesday that it will be a disservice for Nigerians to vote another president other than Tinubu in 2027, saying campaign for his re-election must be based on facts and figures.
The Speaker, who spoke when he hosted the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement led by its National Coordinator, Comrade Sunday Adekanbi Asuku, on a courtesy visit to his office said there are enough performance statistics to justify the second term bid of the President.
While declaring that it will be easy to sell the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate to Nigerians and secure well over 10 million votes for the President, Speaker Abbas stated that the re-election campaign will rest on facts and figures, showing how the Tinubu administration has made remarkable progress since taking over in 2023.
The Speaker warned that it will be a great disservice for Nigerians to vote for another presidential candidate after enduring the programmes and policies of the Tinubu administration, only for another President to reverse them.
With High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, as the Founder/Grand Patron, PBAT Door-to-Door Movement seeks to mobilise nationwide support and secure at least 10 million votes for President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Speaker Abbas said, ‘I am glad that in your speech, you mentioned the approach and the methodology of your campaign, to make it differ from what it used to be in the past, where people made noise with no substance.
‘This is a campaign that should be guided by facts and figures. Let people see and feel what the government has accomplished in the past three years.
‘And it will not be a difficult thing because we all know what this government has done in all the 36 states of the federation. So, it will be a campaign that will be guided principally by wisdom, issues, maturity, and facts and figures. Once you stay on course with these five noble things that I mentioned, you cannot get it wrong.’
According to the Speaker ‘there is no establishment at the national level that is closer to the grassroots than the House of Representatives. The parliament remains a major pillar of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration.
‘I assure you we will continue to be part of the ambassadors that will continue to enlighten the people about the wisdom of continuity, because in a country where over 40 out of 60 years of its existence was managed badly, no president or leader, no matter how good they are, will correct the wrongs of the past within four years.
‘So, it will be a very terrible mistake for Nigerians to reverse the modest gains that we have recorded from 2023 to date. People have sacrificed because of the policies that have been brought on board to solve those historic, decadent policies. People have paid prices for it. So, for us to now pick somebody to discard, all those sacrifices and modest achievements will not be justice to ourselves.’
Earlier, Comrade Asuku said the ‘thank you visit’ was at the instance of Tompolo. He commended Speaker Abbas for supporting the inauguration of the Movement.
He said, ‘It is safe to say that this Assembly-this House-is one of the best that Nigeria has witnessed in recent times. This is because we have a father, an erudite scholar; we have a square peg in a square hole, and I can attest to the fact that with a fine brain like you at the helm of affairs in the House, Nigeria will be in safe hands.’
While noting that the Movement is made up of organic supporters of President Tinubu, Asuku described the President as ‘a leader who is confronting our fears head-on.’
Stating that, ‘This government has done well,’ he said members of the Movement have taken it upon themselves and will stop at nothing to ensure electoral victory for President Tinubu.
Asuku, however, stated that the Movement is not out to drive a parallel campaign leadership with the APC. He said that is why the support group seeks to involve people like Speaker Abbas to ‘get your blessings and mentorship.’
He said, ‘This Movement will stop at nothing until we can galvanise nothing less than 10 million votes from our own angle. We don’t really know what the APC as a party will bring, but at the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, we will at least beat our chest that, yes, we are mopping up nothing less than 10 million votes for Mr. President. This is because the APC under his leadership has done well.’