As the countdown to the 2023 presidential election begins, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Tuesday told his opponents that they cannot defeat him with lies.
Tinubu also assured Muslim leaders in the country that he will offer fair and just leadership to all Nigerians if elected president.
He gave the assurance in a town hall meeting with Muslim leaders from the North West geopolitical zone in Kano.
He said: “Mean-spirited politicians – those thinking only of themselves or those who think they mean more than the nation itself – will go to great lengths to deceive or recruit eminent persons to unknowingly preach division and hatred.
“They cannot win with the truth. So, they will try to win with a lie. But a lie never wins in the end. Those they cannot beat with honesty, they seek to beat them with untruth and falsity. They want to turn servants of God into preachers of division and hateful sentiment.”
On expectations from him if elected president, Tinubu reminded the faith leaders of his record as Lagos State governor.
He said: “I promise to be a fair and just leader. This pledge is based on the Islamic teachings on leadership. A leader in a plural society is enjoined to be a leader for all. If elected, I shall govern in harmony with our nation’s democratic Constitution.
“More than that. I shall tackle this nation’s problems with a commitment to solving them. I say this not as a boast. I say it based on my record. As Lagos governor, I assembled perhaps the most diverse team by any state government. That team was based on competence, not tribal this or regional that. It was not based on the attire one wore or the accent one spoke with, but on the quality of one’s ideas and contributions to society.
“If given the chance by Almighty Allah, I will operate in the same spirit of inclusiveness and innovation in order to renew the hope of our people. My highest priorities shall be the protection of our land and prosperity of its people.”