A former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro, has said gaffes made by the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, are mere slip of tongues as a result of pressure from campaigns.
Pedro, who insisted that Tinubu is fit both mentally and physically to lead Nigeria, said mistakes are common and not unusual adding that anybody can commit such blunders.
Pedro, who was the second-term deputy to former Lagos governor Tinubu between 2003 and 2007, said this during a live appearance on Channels Television’s election programme, The 2023 Verdict, on Monday.
The APC flag bearer had made some gaffes during the ongoing campaigns that trended online among Nigerians on social media. Some of which are; “PDAPC,” “balablu” and “down payment for a roasted corn.”
Pedro however said, “He (Tinubu) might have made few slips here and there; everybody does that. The other time (Iyorchia) Ayu on national TV said PDP should be rejected. He didn’t mean PDP, of course, but it was a slip.
“When you’re on a campaign trail, the pressure, the noise, the gravitas, the general rally atmosphere, you can easily have a slip of tongue. That is not unusual and it’s not unheard of all over the world.
“Asiwaju is very fit, he is fitter than me. He is energetic and he is everywhere. Asiwaju’s cognitive skill is perfect; most of the speeches we hear or read are doctored. That is the narrative that has been presented by the other opposition to make him seem unfit.”
Pedro, who is also a member of the APC’s Presidential Campaign Council, said Nigerians had nothing to worry about as regards Tinubu’s health and cognitive abilities.
He said, “I was with him two days ago in Abuja with other leaders. I was pleasantly impressed by his energy, his vigour; he has not been hiding. We have seen him speak before in Nigerian economic summits, town hall meetings in Kano, Rivers and Lagos.”
