How Tinubu’ll win next month’s presidential poll

A member of the House of Representatives, Shamzudeen Danbazzau, has said the emergence of a ‘third force’ in the 2023 presidential race will positively impact the chances of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu.

Mr. Danbazau, an APC member from Kano State, said Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and Peter Obi of the Labor Party would provide what he termed a “spoiler effect” that would eventually pave the way. for Mr. Tinubu emerged victorious in the February 25 election.

According to him, the votes that the couple will receive will divide the votes that should go to Atiku Abubakar, the candidate from People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

The lawmaker said this on Thursday during a press conference at the National Assembly.

Both Messrs. Obi and Kwankwaso were members of PDP before they left for LP and NNPP to pursue their presidential ambitions.

Mr. Obi, who is Atiku’s running mate in 2019, has gained a lot of followers in the South-East and South-South – two zones believed to be PDP strongholds.

Also, Mr. Kwankwaso, the governor of Kano State, has a cult following in the state and other neighboring states in the North.

Speaking on the spoiler effect, Mr. Danbazzau said other candidates will draw votes from the same source, clearing the way to victory for Mr. Tinubu.

“The spoiler effect-if you are not familiar with the spoiler effect-the spoiler effect will give Asiwaju Tinubu the win. When you have two parties going toe to toe, and you introduce the third wheel, and the third wheel is popular, the person who introduced it, the attention will move from the most powerful second to third wheel, “He said.

He dismissed speculations about Mr. Tinubu’s health status, insisting that he is fit to rule the country.

“Tinubu is healthy. There is nothing wrong with him. If you remember yesterday, Kashim Shettima even mentioned that he has diabetes and hypertension. But Bola Ahmed Tinubu has no disease. He is very fit. Didn’t you see him dancing Buga? He is healthy. There is nothing wrong with him,” he said.

The lawmaker said the same spoiler effect would apply in Kano State, where APC gubernatorial candidate Nasir Gawuna faces Abba Yusuf of the NNPP, Sha’ban Sharada of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) and others in March.

Mr Danbazau, who briefly defected to the NNPP in 2022 after losing the APC primary, said Mr Kwankwaso’s effect would not prevent the APC from winning the election in Kano.

On the security situation in the country, Mr. Danbazau said the situation has improved under the current administration. He noted that bombs are no longer in Abuja and other places.

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“Now we have progressed because I remember that between 2014 and the end of 2015 – during that time I refused to pray Eid al-Fitr. I used to pray Friday, staying at home or in the barracks to pray. But now from around 2016, I do not miss the Eid al-Fitr prayer, and do not miss the Friday prayer.

“I remember a time when there was an explosion in Banex. We don’t have this kind of thing happen anymore. We can mention many incidents like what happened in Karu, Louis Edet House, United Nations (office in Abuja), Zaria, Kaduna, and the Emir’s Palace in Kano. All these types of incidents have stopped. Now insecurity has become something that exists in isolated pockets, but it is still being done,” he said.

The lawmaker said there has been significant investment in military hardware to help fight insurgents and other criminals.