Tinubu's early exit at Minna rally not due to health concerns - APC-PCC

Bayo Onanuga, the Director, Media and Publicity, All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC), has shut down rumours that presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, was rushed off the stage due to health concerns at his Minna rally.

Pulse reports that Tinubu's campaign trail moved to the Niger State capital on Wednesday, December 14, 2022.

Meanwhile, the former Lagos State Governor only made a brief appearance on stage without making any long speech. This is unusual for a rally of such magnitude and speculations were already afoot that he was whisked off the stage due to health issues.

Onanuga explains what happened: Reacting to the development, Onanuga explained that Tinubu had to leave the rally early because the crowd that turned up to welcome him was too massive.

He disclosed this in a statement shared on the official website of the APC presidential candidate and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, a few hours after the event.

The statement read: “A massive crowd of APC supporters welcomed the presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to Minna on Wednesday, as he arrived for the mega rally.

“The cheering crowd was unprecedented, according to journalists at the Trade Fair Complex, venue of the rally.

“Tinubu, who held another successful rally in Kaduna on Tuesday, arrived in Minna in the evening of the same day for a series of meetings with APC leaders.

“The crowd was so huge that Tinubu spoke briefly to appreciate the supporters and identified the party candidates seeking elective positions.

“Contrary to the rumours that he was rushed off stage because of health concerns, Tinubu cut it short to attend to other programmes of the day.

“He commended the party supporters for coming out en masse to witness the flag off of the presidential campaign.”

Pulse reports that, shortly after the Minna rally, the APC presidential candidate was spotted at the inauguration of his campaign office in the city, donated by Blueprint Newspaper Publisher and Chairman, of Strategic Communications of the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council, Mohammed Malagi.

Tinubu also paid a visit to the Emir of Minna and was later hosted in a luncheon organised by the Governor of Niger, Abubakar Bello.