President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday took his campaign to Oyo and Osun states.
In Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the ruling party’s chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, used the campaign to attack ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.
In Osogbo, the Osun State capital, Mr Buhari said his government has cleared Boko Haram from 17 local governments of Borno and Yobe it occupied.
“I want to remind you of how we met this country and what we have achieved in the last three years,” the president said. “We have cleared Boko Haram from its dominance in 17 local governments of Borno and Yobe, which made them resort to attacking soft targets like young girls, women, market places and places of worship.”
Apart from attacking soft targets, however, the Boko Haram have also repeatedly attacked military bases and formations, killing scored of soldiers.
The apparent resurgence of the terrorists in the past year is one the reasons Mr Obasanjo alleged that the Boko Haram is now more powerful than ever.
On Saturday, Mr Buhari also said his government has brought more blessings to the country than the former ruling party, PDP.
He restated his government’s commitment to anti-corruption.
“We are doing our best to ensure that whoever found guilty of misappropriating public funds would be made to face the full wrath of the law,” he said.
Also speaking at the rally, the Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, said the president has brought development to the state. He urged Osun residents to support the APC for a better future.
“APC is the party for the future, we must not allow those who have looted the treasury in the past to come back,” he said.
A national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, while speaking said: “PDP lied to Nigerians for 16 years.
“They looted and made it impossible for youths to secure employment. We fought for 15 years to get the mandate of Abiola, until when Buhari addressed the injustice and recognised Abiola’s presidential status, which makes him deserve our votes in the South West.”
The Osogbo rally was attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, two former governors of the state, Bisi Akande and Rauf Aregbesola, and a former deputy governor of the state, Iyiola Omisore.
Earlier on Saturday, Mr Buhari was in Ibadan for the Oyo State rally.
In Ibadan, Mr Oshiomhole criticised former ex-President Obasanjo.
He condemned Mr Obasanjo for supporting Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party for next month’s presidential election.
Mr Obasanjo had in the past accused Mr Abubakar, who was his vice president, of corruption. Although he supported Mr Buhari for the 2015 election, Mr Obasanjo has now declared support for Mr Abubakar.
“You know in Yorubaland, we respect elders. But, when an elder lies in the morning, afternoon and night, such a person doesn’t deserve our respect, because the Yorubas say respect begets respect,” Mr Oshiomhole said.
“That Baba that called Atiku a thief; he said it in the morning, afternoon and night; he wrote it in a book. Only for him to now say he has forgiven him. Is he equivalent to Nigeria? I think that is very insulting.
“For anyone who has been as lucky as that old, chicken farmer, who has governed Nigeria for about eleven and a half years, to say that once he forgives what was stolen, all Nigerians should forgive, is to assume that he is equivalent to Nigeria. That is not the tradition even in Yorubaland. So I ask you to please recognise that it is not over until it is over.”
After attacking Mr Obasanjo, the APC chairman urged the electorates to use their permanent voter’s card to ‘kill’ the opposition.