Sowore mocks Tinubu over absence at annual accountants’ conference in Abuja
The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, mocked his counterpart in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for failing to attend the 52rd Annual Accountants Conference in Abuja.
Sowore took a swipe at Tinubu over his absence at the event where presidential candidates were invited to speak to participants at the conference on their agenda for the 2023 general elections.
Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party; Ifeanyi Okowa, vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Prof. Christopher Imulomen of the Accord Party and Prof. Peter Umeadi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance.
He criticised Tinubu who claimed to have studied accounting at the Chicago State University in the United States for boycotting such an important event.
Sowore said, “The candidate that did not show up is supposed to be an accounting guru from Chicago State University but he refused to show up at the most important accounting event in Nigeria today.”
He also faulted the 2023 budget proposal presented by President Muhammadu Buhari, noting that it violated section 12 (1) of the 1999 Constitution by way of fiscal responsibility Act of 2007 which states that the deficit to Gross Domestic Products (GDP) ratio of the national budget should not be more than 3 percent.
“We are now at 5 percent, that is unsustainable,” Sowore said.
He said, “I am here to talk about things that are not sustainable in Nigeria. I want to talk about one of you who carried out unsustainable act of accounting, with the stealing of over N150 billion – the Accountant General of the Federation. That is not sustainable.”
The AAC Presidential Candidate said if elected as President in 2023, he will ensure that the next Accountant General comes from ICAN.
He added that he would engage the services of accountants to calculate the money that have been stolen from Nigeria since 1960.
According to the activist, he will lead a country where accountants will use software to detect and prevent corruption before it happens. He also called for the digitilisation of accounting processes and procedures in line with international best practices.
Sowore said, “I will move Nigeria from analogue leaders who think by way of typewriters, whereas they should be thinking of digitilisation era.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I want to assure you that as presidential candidate, we have the credibility, courage and integrity to run a modern state. There is no reason why Nigeria or Nigerians should have leaders running the affairs but do not know how to run personal affairs.”
He cautioned Nigerians against making the mistake of electing a sick leader that would ruin the affairs of the country, saying the country needs a healthy leader.
He explained that Nigeria cannot achieve sustainability with the way its leaders are fighting corruption.
“But let me say clearly to you that corruption has destroyed our probability to exist as a people and we must not take it for granted.
“We must fix our energy sector. Nigeria has no business with any individual or political party that was responsible for darkness in the country,” the AAC presidential candidate said.
Similarly, Tinubu was absent at the Nigerian Bar Association conference in August. His running mate, Kashim Shettima was the one who represented him at the biggest gathering of Nigerian legal practitioners.
Tinubu’ absence at these recent events may be connected to the controversy around his health status.
There have been concerns from observers over Tinubu’s health status following his recent medical trip to the United Kingdom.
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