Former Speaker Yakubu Dogara has urged Nigerians to reject Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), at the general elections owing to shady academic, financial and parental background.

Mr Dogara was reacting to President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent public endorsement of Mr Tinubu’s presidential bid, which he described as a humorous satire and a joke. He believed that Mr Buhari could not have in good faith recommended the former Lagos governor for president in the face of his obvious inadequacies unless it was a joke. 

“I know that PMB loves to crack jokes but I didn’t know he will escalate it to the level of satire. Asiwaju ll give his best to Nigeria, really? Fake certificates, fake parentage, golden triangle escapades, racketeering. No PMB, Nigeria does not deserve his best but we get the satire,” he tweeted. 

Mr Dogara is an erstwhile political associate of Mr Tinubu who analysts say lost out in the quest to become Mr Tinubu’s running mate after working very hard to ensure the former Lagos governor emerges the APC flag bearer.

A proclaimed Pentecostal Christian, Mr Dogara publicly fell out with Mr Tinubu when the latter decided to pick former Borno governor Kashim Shettima, a northern Muslim, as his running mate. Mr Dogara described the decision as “satanic” and has since declared his support for PDP’s Atiku Abubakar.

“One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. My loyalty is to principles not individuals or political parties. You violate the principles I hold dear, I dump you like a bag of weed,” Mr Dogara tweeted further.

Mr Buhari’s public expression of support for Mr Tinubu’s presidential bid is setting a new conversation among pundits who had earlier alleged that the outgoing president is indifferent about the ambition. 

Mr Tinubu also worsened matters when he accused members of the Buhari administration of manipulating national issues in order to cost him the election.