A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr. Bashir Lamido has urged the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige to openly declare his support for the presidential candidate of the party, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying Ngige should emulate the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu who is supporting Tinubu with sincerity and courage.
Lamido made the call on Saturday morning in a chat with newsmen in Yola, urging Ngige to stop playing hide and seek game.
Ngige, on Friday appeared to hesitate in endorsing his party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Mr Ngige, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, said he will make his choice at the ballot.
“I’m not active in politics for now because I am facing national assignment,” he said when asked his preferred candidate between the APC’s Tinubu and the Labour Party’s Peter Obi.
“Both of them are my friends. My choice will be in the ballot box. It is a secret ballot. I shouldn’t tell Nigerians what I would do secretly.”
“You’ve heard of the Obidient people.”
When pressed on who he feels will win the 2023 elections, Mr Ngige said the big parties have problems.
“We have problems in APC; PDP has their own. Their own is two times our own. Our own is family disagreements.”
But, condemning the interview, Lamido said, “Ngige should be bold enough to emulate Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and others from the South East geopolitical zone who are openly supporting Tinubu. He is a chieftain of the party and a founding member too. So why is he afraid to openly support Tinubu?,.
“It is good to be sincere with the people. And sincerity starts with not sitting on the fence. It’s either you are for Tinubu, Atiku or Obi. Kalu has made it known he is supporting his party’s presidential candidate and that’s how men of character behaves ” he queried.
