Nnamani: I Will Vote for Atiku, But Tinubu is a Great Administrator

•Condemns campaigns targeting former Lagos governor’s health

Sunday Aborisade

A former governor of Enugu State, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani has described the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 elections as a strong politician and a great administrator.

Nnamani, who is currently representing Enugu East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declared this in a statement he personally signed and made available to THISDAY in Abuja yesterday.

The Senator said notwithstanding the fact that he would vote for the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, Nigerians should know that Tinubu had significantly paid his dues.

The PDP lawmaker said he was the governor of Enugu State when Tinubu was also governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007.

He said, “Tinubu is qualified to run for President of Nigeria in 2023 as there is no evidence that he has dementia.

“While my vote is covered by the umbrella par my party, the PDP and our candidate, Atiku Abubakar. I take a bow for the hardest working politician of this generation. He patiently paid his dues.”

Nnamani however said for the Tinubu to succeed he “needs to work on improving relationships with many others especially my people the Igbo.”

Part of Nnamani’s statement read, “He (Tinubu), needs to lead by advocacy, example, practice and open mindedness in assuaging the feeling and ongoing hostility to the Igbo in Lagos.

“I also condemn the castigation of Igbo by my highly distinguished colleague Senator Oluremi Tinubu, done under whatever circumstances.

“The Igbo cannot apologise for exploring the limits of achieving the Trinity of her character  – Igbambo (hustle) Njepu (Travel) and Ako na Uche ( cot of reason).

“When Bola Ahmed Tinubu was governor, Lagos state’s internally generated revenue rose from N600 million per month to over N8 billion per month.

“He had an impressive track record as a governor; his state contributed more than 30 per cent to our country’s GDP, accounted for more than 65 per cent of industrial investment in Nigeria, 80 per cent of its international trade, and collected more than 60 per cent of the country’s value-added tax.

“In the area of human capacity, his mentorship was first class and his mentees have spread out and like little acorns many have become giant oak trees in Nigeria’s political firmaments.

“Just like in Enugu State, we appointed non-Enugu people (avoiding the meaningless and retrogressive anathema “non-indigene”) I recall my brother Ben Akabueze being a repository of the financial and economic secrets of “Yoruba” Tinubu Lagos State Government.

“Fashola, Osinbajo, Aregbosola, Fayemi, etc. All first class with A-game always. I vigorously opposed, protest and detest the shameless campaigns and parody targeting Tinubu’s health.

“As a health worker I am amazed by the ignorance, foolishness, wickedness and callousness of these idiotic operators.”