The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has visited the Emir of Zazzau, Malam Ahmed Bamalli, after attending the seventh edition of the Kaduna Investment Forum.
Tinubu, who was accompanied by his host, Gov. Nasir El-Rufai, and APC stalwarts, was in the palace to seek royal blessing and pay homage to the emir.
Tinubu arrived the palace few hours after the departure of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to Kaduna for his campaign and engagement with Arewa Joint Committee.
While apologising for his inability to attend Bamalli’s coronation, Tinubu, however, said he would make the palace his second home, especially when he becomes the next president of the country.
Earlier, host Gov. Nasir el-Rufai said even though it was the first time the APC presidential flagbearer visited the first class traditional ruler, it would be the beginning of many future visits to the palace.
He described Tinubu as a person who has long pedigree and respect for the traditional institution.
He added that part of the respect for traditional institutions made him visit the emir a few hours after his arrival for the seventh edition of Kaduna Investment Forum, insisting on visiting the palace to pay homage to the royal father.
“This is not a visit to start a campaign, it is a visit to consult you and tap from your wisdom and we will come back for a campaign visit, this is just a courtesy call.
“Having visited Kaduna, Asiwaju felt his visit was incomplete without paying homage to you,” el-Rufai said.
Responding, Bamalli appealed to politicians to work towards strengthening national unity throughout their campaign for the general elections in 2023.
“In the next few months we will be approaching a difficult period of our coexistence; that is, we are getting into the political arena with a lot of politicking.
“I would like to take this liberty to request you to show maturity and experience as the former governor of Lagos state to play a vital role for a historic election.
“What we need at this point is the security of our country, improved economy and peaceful co-existence; the issue of division of Nigeria should be put aside,” the emir counselled.
