Tinubu has done more for Plateau than past presidents — Yilwatda

JOS — National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has said President Bola Tinubu has done more for Plateau State than previous Nigerian presidents, citing projects and interventions by the current administration.

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Yilwatda spoke on Wednesday at the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement rally in Jos, where he urged APC supporters to back Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, arguing that Plateau had no reason to support another presidential candidate.

“Your son is the national chairman of the APC. We are part and parcel of the system. We are in the inner caucus of the system. We have no reason to thumbprint any other presidential candidate on the Plateau at all,” he said.

“President Bola Tinubu is a friend of Plateau State. No president in the history of Nigeria has been able to stand with the state the way Mr President has done for us,” Yilwatda added.

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The APC chairman also criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, questioning the projects executed in Plateau during his eight years in office.

“Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the ADC, was vice-president for eight years. Show me one road or one thing that we had on the Plateau. Show me one N10 billion project on the Plateau within that period,” he said.

Yilwatda said previous administrations had offered the state relatively small interventions, citing boreholes and tricycles, popularly known as Keke NAPEP, in contrast with what he described as major projects being attracted by the Tinubu administration.

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“The best we could have in those days was a borehole, or they would bring Keke Napep for us. Today, the President is bringing major projects to the Plateau,” he said.

He added that Tinubu had provided a university and assigned several projects to the state, citing investments in education, healthcare, infrastructure and security.

On insecurity, Yilwatda said it remained Plateau’s foremost challenge but claimed the President had taken steps to address it.

“If you ask any Plateau man, ‘What is your problem?’ The number one problem is insecurity, and Mr President has addressed it,” he said.

Also speaking at the rally, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang declared his support for Tinubu, saying a meeting with the President on June 6, 2023, had convinced him of Tinubu’s commitment to Nigeria, despite their  political differences at the time.

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“Let me make a public confession for the first time: when I met with the President sometime on June 6, 2023, I made up my mind that this was the president to travel with,” Mutfwang said.

The  governor acknowledged that the country continued to face challenges but expressed confidence in the administration’s direction, particularly on security.

“Yes, we are not there yet. There are challenges in the country. We will not deny them, but definitely we are on the road to making things right. The security project is on course,” he said.

Mutfwang said Tinubu had encouraged his administration in its efforts to tackle insecurity.

“Mr President is committed to securing Nigeria, and I can testify as your governor that he has given us every encouragement,” he said.

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He added that the President had made clear his determination to dismantle criminal networks in Plateau and across the country.

“His body language is very clear that we must diminish and dismantle all the networks of criminals around the state and in the country so that Nigeria will be a better place to live in,” the governor said.

Mutfwang described the door-to-door campaign as a movement rather than merely a support group, pledging to mobilise residents across the state.

“This is not just a campaign support group; it is a movement. We are therefore going to continue that door-to-door movement and make sure that we reach every nook and cranny of this state to mobilise people,” he said.

The governor said his administration would continue to promote inclusion and work towards making Plateau a place where Nigerians could live in peace.

“We are carrying everybody along, and we are saying, let us make Plateau a place that is worthy for every Nigerian to live in. After all, we have the best weather in Nigeria,” he said.

He expressed confidence that Nigeria and Plateau State would overcome their security challenges, urging residents to remain hopeful.

Founder of the PBAT Door-to-Door Campaign, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, was represented at the rally by the group’s National Coordinator, Hon. Adekanbi Sunday Asuku.

The group also donated 28 campaign vehicles to support grassroots mobilisation across Plateau State.