Two leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday exchanged words over President Bola Tinubu’s legitimacy as the duly elected president of Nigeria.
Both men were guests on Channel Television’s programme ‘Sunrise Daily’ which was monitored by QUEST TIMES.
Firing the first salvo, Dr Adetokunbo Pearse, a member of the 2023 PDP national presidential campaign council, Lagos state said he will not recognise Tinubu as president because he was favoured and given an undue advantage by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the February 25 presidential election.
“If the president is keeping the INEC chairman and has refused to fire him, it is because he has done him a favour. We have a problem there”.
Pearse was however cut short from making further comments by Omoba Tunde Ajibulu, member of the 2023 APC Presidential Campaign Council (Campaign Planning) who accused him of disrespecting the president.
“First things first, I would like you to take some things back. You will not allude that the INEC president did my president a favour. He is also your president”.
Facing Pearse, he asked, “Do you know any better than the Supreme Court of Nigeria? Are you a judge?”.
“This is a court that has granted your party victory at all levels. It is always so sad for the opposition. When things are not going their way, that is when they come up with all these things. They keep quiet when things go their way. It is almost like a pity party”.
“How many PDP senators did the courts return now? He is not speaking to that. My own is, you will not insult my president on this forum. Let’s show respect. The man has contested an election, won and has been sworn in. Today, he is the elected president of Nigeria”.
In his response, Pearse, who was a former governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Lagos state during the 2019 general elections said he has a right to criticise any public official, including the president.
“This is a democracy. I can criticise anybody. I refuse to accept him to be my president. The first person I will criticise is the president”.