Tinubu Vs Atiku: 2023 Presidential Candidate’s Gaffes That Made Headlines This Year

In 2022, Nigerians were thrilled with a series of gaffes by presidential candidates in their separate electioneering campaigns ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Naija News reports that the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and the latter’s wife, Titi Abubakar, set the internet abuzz with what is considered ‘blunders’ at different campaign rallies and political gatherings this year.

A series of events have trended on social media platforms this year, but the gaffes by the political bigwigs cut across boards as they received reactions from various stakeholders and Nigerians home and abroad considering the timing of the blunders.

Come February 2023, Nigerians will again choose their leaders to champion the nation’s affairs for the next four years. While those contesting positions in the forthcoming polls are also humans and hence could make mistakes, some citizens consider absurd some of the gaffes from the veteran politicians seeking to occupy the country’s top political position.

Since the commencement of the campaigns for the 2023 elections, political actors and electorates have been on the lookout for the next candidate to make a blunder so they can use such to troll the opposition party and, in return, sell their candidates.

Bola Tinubu Gaffes

The former Governor of Lagos State is holding the APC flag for the 2023 presidential race. Since he declared his intention to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari come next year, Tinubu has come under a series of controversies.

The controversies include alleged involvement in white heroin drug dealing in the United States and claims that his health condition worsens daily.

Tinubu’s many public gaffes, which critics say are symptoms of dementia, and many more have been refuted by the presidential candidate himself, and through his media aides, Naija News reports.

Many Nigerians had expressed concerns about Tinubu ‘s state of health, wondering whether he could withstand the rigours of the campaign activities.

Day after day, the former Governor of Lagos State is gradually approaching February 2023 polls with many political engagements.

Tinubu’s Gaffe In Kaduna: In October 2022, during the 7th edition of the Kaduna Economic and Investment Summit (KADInvest 7.0), Tinubu said the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, “turned a rotten situation into a bad one.

“We’re not going to let you run away; your vision, creativity and resiliency in turning a rotten situation to a bad one is necessary at this critical time; that’s why we are here today.”

The above statement by Tinubu made news headlines months ago as some Nigerians questioned if the APC presidential candidate is fit for the Nigerian job after making such a gaffe.

In Plateau: Tinubu, while addressing a massive gathering of his supporters at the flag-off of his campaign in Plateau State, concluded his speech by saying, “God bless PD…APC.”

At the same event, the former Governor of Lagos State made another blunder when he referred to the Director-General of his campaign council, Simon Lalong, as Solomon Dalong.

In Owerri, Imo State: Tinubu, during a meeting with private sector stakeholders in Owerri, Imo State capital weeks ago, uttered some words that Nigerians found more ridiculous as he tried to justify his shunning of town hall and debates organised by media organisations during his remarks.

“A town hall is different from ‘balabloo-blu-bulaba”, so he was heard saying at the meeting with private sector stakeholders in Imo.

It wasn’t clear if the APC presidential candidate was trying to pronounce ‘hullabaloo’, but the utterance made another trend on social media platforms and was a subject of discussion on media houses at the time.

Delta Gaffe: Recently in Delta State, Tinubu, while speaking in Oporoza, Gbaramatu Kingdom, made another gaffe when he said the deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, who is the APC gubernatorial candidate in Delta State, would be the next governor of “Niger Delta State.”

“I equally recognise today the deputy senate president, and he will be the governor of Niger Delta State,” said the APC presidential candidate while addressing dignitaries at the event.

APV Gaffe In Lagos: Tinubu was addressing a crowd of supporters in Lagos weeks ago when he asked them to go and take their ‘APV’.

Apparently, the context showed he meant Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), Tinubu, however, adjusted by saying APC.

“Do you love me? Do you love me? Go and take your APV…APC, and you must vote,” he reportedly said.

Atiku Abubakar’s Gaffe

A few days ago, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, triggered mixed reactions online following a mistake he made in Jos, Plateau State.

Naija News reports that Atiku while addressing PDP supporters at a rally at the Rwang Pam township stadium in Jos two weeks ago, suffered a gaffe which is unusual for the former Vice President.

The former vice president, while concluding his speech in Hausa, said, “For God’s sake and for the value of this place, ensure that you vote for A… I mean PDP this time around.”

As expected, trolls came after Atiku on social media as many reacting to his gaffe said what goes round surely must come round. Atiku’s gaffe justifies the statement of the Director, Public Affairs and the Spokesperson of Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, who said nothing was wrong with a few slips made by Tinubu.

“The best speakers in the world, the most intelligent people, once you are on the campaign trail, you can make mistakes. Go and check candidates of the most civilised countries of the world, including Britain, make gaffes. Barack Obama made a lot of gaffes, US President Joe Biden made a lot of gaffes”, Keyamo had said during an interview earlier.

Atiku Abubakar’s Wife, Titi’s Gaffe

Just last week, a video of Titi Abubakar, the wife of the PDP presidential candidate, made a trend online as she made a blunder while addressing her fellow women during a campaign rally.

Naija News reports that the wife of the former Vice President in the video was seen sensitizing women ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Titi called on women who have not gotten their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) to obtain it before the commencement of the electoral process.

While trying to compel voters to vote for her husband’s party, Titilayo made a gaffe and asked them to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 elections.

Recall that the presidential candidate of the APC, Tinubu, would be contesting against her husband in the presidential election in 2023.