Former governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has said he is gratified with those who supported his presidential bid for showing concern for the welfare of those in need.
The National Leader and Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), however, in the statement delivered to newsmen by his Media Office aide, Mr Tunde Rahman on Sunday said that the poor should be put aside if the intention of the gifts was to fight him (Tinubu).
Naija News had reported earlier that Tinubu’s loyalists have started distributing branded bags of rice and other food items to residents of Kano State.
Residents of Kano were seen in videos and photos carrying bags of rice with the inscription ‘JAGABA – Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a development the politician had denied having knowledge of.
Tinubu despite denying any link with the food distribution, warned beneficiaries of the food items to verify the source and content of the Ramadan largesse.
He said: “These good efforts are the labour of compassion by others. However, Asiwaju is gratified that those who support him also have this abiding concern for the welfare of those in need.
“Asiwaju says to such people that they have every right to oppose or dislike him. He defends their right to do so. However, they have no right to undermine humanitarian efforts providing needed food to the poor or otherwise victimise them.
“If these actors want to fight Asiwaju, so be it. But they should have the minimal decency to leave poor people alone and not to disturb or disrupt attempts to alleviate the hardships of the hungry and struggling among us,” the statement read in part.
“That we have to issue such a warning is sad. It is necessary because we fear some malevolent elements may try to undermine and destroy these noble efforts because of their political opposition to Asiwaju or simply because they have no love for their fellow man,” the statement added.
In another news, the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB asked the Northern region of Nigeria to get ready to receive men of the Eastern Security Network in the region soon.
The separatist in a statement signed and made available to newsmen on Sunday by its Director of Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful, while reacting to a declaration by MACBAN, said it will be launching the ESN in the Northern region of Nigeria soon, Naija News reports.