We rejected Jonathan’s dollars, says Arewa community

Hundreds of Arewa leaders who received Kano State Governor, Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso, in Lagos on Sunday, said they rejected hundreds of thousands of dollars which was offered to them by President Goodluck Jonathan when the President visited the state two weeks ago.

The leaders, who were drawn from the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas of the state, distanced themselves from the endorsement given to Jonathan by a group.

Speaking during a meeting at the Ikoyi home of a former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Tinubu, the Chairman, Arewa Community in Lagos, Alhaji Sani Kabiru, said those that endorsed Jonathan were impostors.

He said on the day of the endorsement, some people bought turbans at Agege and went to visit Jonathan at the State House, Marina, posing as emirs only to deceive the President.

He said, “When President Jonathan came to Lagos with dollars, some of us here quickly went back and gathered ourselves and started calling our own not to go to visit Jonathan. I also commend some leaders here for leading an offensive and convinced people not to go there.

“Most of the Arewa leaders and ‘serikis’ did not even go there to collect the dollars. At that event, card-carrying members of the Peoples Democratic Party bought turbans at the Central Market around Moshalashi Bus Stop, Agege. The person that sold the turbans told me that they dressed up as emirs and they were on their way to Jonathan’s place.

“So, most of them were fake. They went to collect dollars but cannot tell anyone because they are in hiding. But we did not stop at that; those that we knew that went, we called them to order and asked them why they went but they said they only collected dollars but they would not vote Jonathan.”

Kabiru said virtually all Arewa members had collected their Permanent Voter Cards. He promised to ensure one million votes for the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.); and the state’s governorship candidate, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode.

While fielding questions from journalists, Kwankwaso berated Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, for what he termed, “inciting comments.”

He said Fayose’s comments against the North were a reflection of Jonathan’s temperament. He, however, urged the people to express their choice at the polls on March 28.

He said, “When I did my National Youth Service Corps in Ogun State, I imbibed the belief that this part of the country has people that are positively cultured ranging from Obafemi Awolowo, Ernest Shonekan, MKO Abiola, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Olusegun Obasanjo and others.”