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…As Dignitaries Eulogies Ex-APC National Chairman

Former National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, has told President Muhammadu Buhari that he has no iota of sympathy for him over bashes he is receiving as a result of insecurity and other challenges bedevilling the nation.

According to him, General Buhari had applied to be Nigeria President.

Akande made the remark in his address at the Public Presentation of his autobiography, “My Participations,” which had in attendance President Buhari among other dignitaries in Lagos.

Akande said: “We (Nigerians) know you love the country, but we want Nigeria to be peaceful, to prosper. We abuse you for everything that is wrong in the country.

“We know we are fraudulent, cheaters and for all the wrongs we still blame you for it. I don’t sympathise with you because you applied for the job.”

Speaking, President Buhari said he was duty bound to be at the book presentation because Akande is a decent, truthful, and friendly person.

Buhari said his first encounter with him was in 2006 when they wanted to unseat the PDP government and that the effort then came to nothing, but that they did not give up as the nation was going down under PDP.

“He was always in the thick of things. He emerged as governor of Osun in 1999.

“He inherited looted treasury, enough challenges to overwhelm a leader and he faced the challenges and overcame most of them. Within one year, he paid all the salaries through his competence,” he said.

Buhari said in 2003, it was common knowledge that Akande and others fell victims of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s electoral massacre when he took over the South West except Lagos.

“We fused together, though we failed in 2011, we came back into APC, he was chosen as the chairman, throughout, I found him honest and truthful. Akande has a permanent smile on his face.

“Students will find this book useful, I recommend this book to them,” President Buhari said.

On his part, the national of APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu described Akande as a hero and a man of impeccable character.

He said with men like Akande with selfless character, the lives of Nigerians would be made better.

Tinubu said Akande is a key light in the nation’s political story and that his life has shown what a public figure of a nation like Nigeria ought to be.

“From a humble beginning, he rose through hard work and perseverance to the top. He did not walk the easy way but through hard work. He tutored himself to become a qualified accountant at the age of 22,” he said.

The former governor of Lagos State said without Akande, the merger that brought about APC would not have been possible.

“Without Akande, that merger would not have come to pass. We owe him gratitude for this and this led to Buhari’s victory in 2015. We have been fellow travelers in the journey to democracy,” he added.

Lagos Governor, Sanwo-Olu described Akande as a beacon of democracy and a selfless leader, saying that his name is synonymous with honesty, loyalty and so on.

“He is a man of great respect and it is not surprising that his autobiography is being witnessed by politicians and others.

“All his life, he has lived consistently by those values, he has fully paid his dues. The standard of his fairness and equity set him as a man of integrity.

“He made sacrifice for the birth of APC. The book is deeply rooted in politics. The book is a timely offering. We are confident he still has many more years to go,” he said.

The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovations, Ogbonnaya Onu on the other hand concurred that Akande made important contribution to APC.

“Akande did so much for the APC that he deserved every honour that can be given to him.

“Akande is a unique personality who deserved to be celebrated, he worked very hard and determined to succeed in life. Through home studies and correspondence he worked hard to become an accountant.

“This man stood by whatever he believed in, his honesty saved him several times in his life. His life shows that our nation is a land of opportunity.

“He was born poor but never allowed it to dissuade him. His story showed that one future is not determined by one’s background. It showed Nigeria has a bright future, our nation can benefit from the life of Akande,” Onu stated.

Other personalities at the occasion were: All Progressives Congress, APC, National Leader, and former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola and Speaker Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa.

Former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Minister of Interior, represented by his son, Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, represented by his deputy, Gawuna, Governor of Kwara State Abdulraham Abdulrasak, Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi.

Others include Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, Senator Tokunbo Abiru, Senator, Senator Solomon Adeola, representing Lagos Senatorial West, Opeyemi Bamidemi, Governor of Yobe State, Maila Buni, Governor of Ogun State, Governor Dapo Abiodun, Senator Musuliu Obanikoro, Senator Ganiyu Olarewanju Solomon, GOS, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, members of the Lagos State Executive Council, Executives of Bola Ahmed Tinubu supporters Group, Women for SWAGA, Lagos State, a delegation from Osun State, the traditional ruler of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu I, represented by White Cap Chiefs, among others.

Bisi Akande, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria,