Kano-based elder statesman, Tanko Yakassai, has revealed his reason for supporting the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Bola Tinubu
Yakassai during an interview with The Whistler said he supports Tinubu against other northern candidates because Tinubu respects him.
He said he promised himself that he would support any presidential candidate who is first to seek his support.
“I knew there would be candidates, so I said the first requirement is that it must be somebody who comes to me, and gives me my right as an elder statesman, someone who respects me. That man has respected me, and my personality, that is the driving force for my support.
“Tinubu came to me, came into my house, and he begged me for my support. I assured him that he would have it, and I promised him my support there and then. Then I announced that Tinubu is now my candidate because he was the person who came to my house and asked for my support. And when I made the decision to support whoever comes to me first, I did not tell anybody. Not my children or my wife, I just kept it in my heart, and he happened to come first,” he explained.
When asked if his support for Tinubu could translate to votes on election day, he said, “I am not playing politics now. I will never call anybody in Nigeria to support any candidate, even my wife and children, they all support candidates of their choice. All I am saying is that I support Tinubu and I have said why, that’s all.”
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However, he said Governor Nasir El-rufai’s support for Tinubu shows that the northern APC governors are behind him.
He cited El-rufai’s recent attack against some unnamed people hiding behind the presidency to sabotage the APC presidential ambition as evidence.
“Tinubu was the first one to say that these changes are plans against him, didn’t you read it? So, he has said it before El-Rufai. Tinubu said something, El-Rufai concurred, for him to get a governor like El-Rufai to say it, then you know he has other governors on his side,” he said.
