The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu is being widely criticised by the majority of Nigerians from the South East region over his statement that they will languish in longer marginalisation unless they vote massively for him to become the president.
Tinubu said this in Enugu, on Wednesday, while he was there for the state presidential campaign rally at Michael Okpara Square.
He said they have to work hard to support his presidential bid, if not, they will only get “soaked sliced bread” as a region.
According to the APC National Leader, Igbos should “work hard, sweat for this party until they deliver victory for him.”
“But nobody will give you any credit, you are working hard, you’re sweating now. We want you to sweat well now for this party until you deliver victory.
“Until Bola Tinubu becomes the president of Nigeria, we will not give you but a soaked sliced bread.”
Tinubu was warmly received by two Igbo governors Dave Umahi and Hope Uzodinma of Ebonyi and Imo states respectively.
Other APC bigwigs in attendance were Senator Andy Ubah, Chief Gbazuagu Nweke Gbazuagu, and the APC governorship candidates of the party in southeast states among other party members from the states.
While he was speaking to APC members in Enugu and the region, Nigerians of Igbo extraction misconstrued the statement and criticised him for issuing a threat and insult.
The former Lagos state governor has received backlash mostly on social media, and a few comments on Twitter are shown below.
@VictorIsrael_ reacted on Twitter, “Omg! Ahmed Bola Tinubu has openly insulted the Igbo people and these sellouts are busy laughing. Can you imagine this? I’m so angry!”
“#Igbo have suffered in #Nigeria politics. Tinubu says Igbos should sweat and make him the President then he will give them a slight clap or a soaked piece of bread. What an insult!” @ChinasaNwosu tweeted.
“Tinubu took his time to insult the entire South East with ‘soaked bread’ in Enugu,” @firstladyship said. “He did that in the presence of Hope Uzodinma & Dave Umahi. Igbos allowed charlatans like Chimaroke Nnamani, to capture their whole essence. People denigrate you because you gave them that power.”
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