The Director of Media of the Tinubu Support Group (TSG), Bayelsa State chapter, Udengs Eradiri, has fired back at the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Vice Presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, declaring that supporters of President Bola Tinubu are “madly in love” with him and would re-elect him in 2027.

Mr Eradiri described as reckless and irresponsible, a statement credited to Mr Amaechi that only thieves and mad people would vote for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

He accused the former Rivers State governor and minister of transportation of hypocrisy, alleging that Mr Amaechi is now insulting Nigerians he had previously persuaded to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) when Mr Tinubu was providing leadership for the party.

Speaking in reaction to Mr Amaechi’s comment, Mr Eradiri said Mr Tinubu deserved a second term to consolidate the reforms and transformation he believed the President had initiated.

He stated, “We are madly in love with Tinubu and we want to vote for him. We love him, not only because he hails from the South where the presidency resides till 2031 but also because he has demonstrated uncommon courage, patriotic boldness and unselfish determination to take tough decisions that others before him shied away from to reposition this country and lay a solid foundation for a great and prosperous nation.

“We are not thieves and we do not have any mental problem. President Tinubu is our democratic choice and we will re-elect him.”

Mr Eradiri in a statement argued that four years was insufficient to achieve the country’s desired transformation, insisting that the opposition such as Mr Amaechi and his co-travellers had yet to demonstrate that they  could manage Nigeria’s resources and address its challenges better than the incumbent administration.

He said Mr Amaechi’s comments summed up the hollowness and emptiness of the opposition, insisting that such lame remarks would alienate voters rather than attract support for the opposition.

“You can see the inconsistency,arrogance and  desperation these people are deploying to talk to Nigerians. We have resolved to vote for Tinubu because we believe that, with what he is doing to reset this country, he deserves a second term,” Mr Eradiri stated.

The TSG media director recalled Mr Amaechi’s role in the APC’s campaign against former president Goodluck Jonathan, arguing that the former governor could not now condemn Nigerians for supporting a party he once campaigned vigorously to bring to power.

“Is he now saying that the people he convinced to vote for APC then are mad people and thieves? It means that he too is a thief and a mad man for convincing people to vote for the APC under the national leadership of Tinubu,” he said.

Mr Eradiri also accused Mr Amaechi of attempting to undermine the South’s claim to the presidency, insisting that supporters of Mr Tinubu would stand by the principle of power rotation and mobilise votes for the President’s re-election.

“At this point, no matter what they say, we have resolved to stand with the southern ticket. We don’t want them to come and start afresh so that when we finish the right years, we can rotate it to the North,” he said.

He described any attempt to wrest the presidency from the South before the completion of its expected turn as an injustice, accusing Mr Amaechi of repeating what he characterised as the political marginalisation of the region during Jonathan’s presidency.

The former Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) president further challenged Mr Amaechi to address allegations raised by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, concerning transactions and projects undertaken during his tenure as Rivers State governor.

Mr Eradiri cited questions reportedly raised by Mr Wike over a one-million dollars concession fee associated with the Olympia Hotel transaction, an alleged outstanding balance of 28.4 billion dollars from the sale of four state-owned power plants, and expenditure on the abandoned Rivers State monorail project.

He also referred to allegations concerning funds purportedly expended on the Karibi Whyte Hospital project.

Mr Eradiri also criticised Mr Amaechi over his opposition to the establishment of the Nigeria Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Delta State, when he was transportation minister,  saying that  Niger Delta voters would not forget issues they considered important to the region’s development.

Describing Mr Amaechi’s reported remarks about Mr Tinubu’s supporters as inflammatory and insulting, Mr Eradiri urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the Nigeria Police Force to enforce relevant rules governing political campaigns and electioneering statements ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said political parties and candidates should focus on their records, programmes and manifesto,  rather than resort to name-calling or language capable of inflaming political tensions.

He noted, “Serious parties and candidates are expected to campaign with their achievements,  programmes and manifesto to convince the people and show them what they will do better than the ruling party, not by making inciting statements and hate speeches.”

Mr Eradiri maintained that no amount of hostility or verbal attacks would stop Mr Tinubu’s supporters from campaigning for his re-election.

“We want to assure Amaechi that no amount of hate, bile and name-calling will stop the majority of Nigerians from voting for Tinubu,” he said.

He also dismissed the prospects of the opposition ticket involving former vice-president Atiku Abubakar and Mr Amaechi, describing it as “dead on arrival.”

He said several factors would work against its electoral success.

(NAN)