The South West zonal coordinator of President Goodluck Campaign Organisation, Olusegun Mimiko, on Monday, said the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Muhammadu Buhari, cannot be president of the country because he is a computer illiterate.
Addressing supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, at the party’s presidential campaign rally in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Mr. Mimiko, who is also the governor of Ondo State, said Nigerians were looking for a well-educated president who would drive development in the country.
“They don’t belong to this generation. Some of them cannot even click a computer yet they want to be president in Nigeria in 21st century. We say no. we say no, I don’t have much to say. We want a 21st century compliant president,” he said as the crowd cheered.
Mr. Jonathan, while addressing supporters in Enugu last Friday, said Mr. Buhari, who is 72 years old, could not remember his telephone number.
The president’s campaign Director General, Ahmadu Ali, had also described the APC candidate as “septuagenarian with fossilised ideas”. That was a few weeks after he likened the former head of state as an old plane.
Switching to Yoruba language, Mr. Mimiko, who returned to the PDP few months ago from Labour Party, LP, said Mr. Buhari did nothing for the Yoruba when he was head of state between 1983 and 1985, beyond jailing some of its leaders.
“Some violent politicians are claiming ownership of South West but I do tell them that such ownership does not extend to Oyo State.
“Have you seen how massive we are? They say they want to rule you again. Ask them what they did for Nigeria, for the youth, for women, when they were there.
“The only thing he did was locking up their leaders like Adekunle Ajasin and Chief Olabisi Onabanjo for 300 years. Is that what you want?”
The governor insisted that the next president must be well educated, stressing, “We don’t want those that should have retired to play with their grand children at home to be our leaders.”
Also speaking at the rally, the National Chairman of the PDP, Adamu Mu’azu, asked the people of the South west to vote for Mr. Jonathan because he is young and can deliver his promises.
He said, “Why you should vote for the president. Our president is a very young, energetic and humble president. Number two, your gubernatorial candidate (Teslim Folarin) is young. Am I (Mu’azu) not young and energetic? Our president did his NYSC in Oyo State.”
“Therefore the party that belongs to the younger generation of Nigeria is the PDP and our president is your president. He is humble and educated president.
The party’s governorship candidate in Oyo State, Teslim Folarin canvassed the creation of another state from the state, saying “The issue of state creation is kind of obsession to us. If we lose this opportunity we may not have it again in 50 years.