By The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has again made the news in an unusual fashion, albeit unconnected with his recently announced presidential ambition.
For his most recent gaffe on the purported expiry of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), the former Lagos State governor who is eyeing Aso Rock in 2023 has caused a buzz on social media. Though he has publicly apologised for the error, fresh concerns have been raised over his health status.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time the ‘Lion of Bourdillon’ will be making a Freudian slip. In this piece, BlackBox Nigeria highlights three times Tinubu goofed in public in recent times.
1. ‘Recruit 50 million youths in the Army’
Speaking at the colloquium to mark his 69th birthday in Kano, on March 29, 2021, Tinubu said 50 million youths should be drafted into the army to cut off the potential source of recruitment for bandits and criminals who may be looking to engage them.
Following heavy backlashes from Nigerians on social media, the former Lagos State governor later acknowledged his error in a statement, noting that he meant 50,000, and not 50 million youths.
2. Called Dolapo Osinbajo ‘wife of the president’
Weeks later, in April 2021, in a similar fashion, the APC National Leader, while delivering his remarks at the launch of First Lady Aisha Buhari’s biography, erroneously addressed Dolapo Osinbajo, wife of the Vice President, as the “wife of the President”.
“Your excellency President Muhammadu Buhari, ably represented by the chief of staff; his excellency the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo; her excellency first lady, Aisha Muhammadu Buhari; your excellency wife of the president, Dolapo Osinbajo,” Tinubu had said while acknowledging dignitaries in the audience.
3. Claimed Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have expired
On Tuesday night, Tinubu, addresing a delegation of female APC members in Abuja, claimed that the PVCs issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have expired, charging them to register ahead of the 2023 elections.
“In case they do not announce to you on time, the PVC you have has expired. Take one family member, two family members, knock on all doors and make sure that the new registration… Because they may not announce to you on time. The PVCs you have has expired,” the former Lagos State governor stated.
Reacting to the comment, INEC described the claim as wrong, and warned Nigerians not to heed the APC National Leader’s advice, adding that double registration for PVCs is an offence.
Amid mixed reactions that trailed the exchange, Tinubu’s media team issued a statement on his behalf and apologised to Nigerians for the misleading comment, saying “he mistakenly used the word ‘expire’ instead of stating that the cards may have to be updated.”
