Ahead of Saturday’s presidential election, stakeholders in the South-West geopolitical zone have agreed that the region should produce the next president, even as they continue to drum up support for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
The position of the region was made known at the Yoruba and South-West Leaders Of Thought Summit, tagged: “All Progressives Congress Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Interacts With Yoruba and South-West Leaders of Thought,” which was held in Victoria Island, Lagos, on Monday.
In his address, the Lagos State governor and the APC governorship candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said that the endorsement is beyond religious sentiments as Tinubu represents a true leader who has the capacity and capability to become the President of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Convener of the programme and a member of the APC Governance Advisory Council, (GAC) Tajudeen Olusi, welcomed the leaders to the programme, and noted that the aim was to interact with Tinubu on his political aspiration and also a wakeup call to ensure that the South-West does not lose its rights to produce the next president of Nigeria.
Throwing his weight behind Tinubu’s presidency, Olusi said, “Nigeria is in safe hands with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” while also quoting President Muhammadu Buhari to have said: “We are lucky to have Tinubu as the APC presidential candidate.”
While harping on the need to support the APC presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, former Governor of Ogun State, Segun Osoba, said that the journey started in 2007 and that the resolution was that Tinubu should move up to the national level.
He urged the leaders to use their influence to garner support for people to cast their votes for Tinubu.
Also at the event, was the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, while supporting Tinubu’s Presidency, said: “Nobody is above the king in Yorubaland. It’s Tinubu we want and the kings in Yorubaland have said that it is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu they want to become the next President of Nigeria.”
“Tinubu is our son and we must support him,” he noted.
“We in Yorubaland cannot leave our son to vote for another person. Anyone in Afenifere that accepts Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we will accept him. Anyone in Afenifere who does not accept Tinubu, we are king over him and it is Tinubu we want.”
Ajanbi said, “The pronouncement of the king has erased whatever they are saying. Who in Yorubaland is older than a king? Anyone in my kingdom who says he is older than me would have to be patient because I am lord over him.
“I believe in the unity of Nigeria‘s existent and I believe this is our time. Even the north is with us
Yoruba, do you want to be a bastard by voting for another person for president? Don’t be a bastard child. I am begging every one of you, if Bola Ahmed Tinubu has offended you, please forgive him because we are of the same family.
“I am not someone who prays, if you need prayers go to the church or a mosque. I as a king make pronouncements, let us go out to vote for Bola Ahmed Tinubu on February 25, 2023,” he added.
Present at the event were Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; monarchs from the South-West including Abdulrosheed Akanbi; Ayangbuaren of Ikorodu, Kabiru Shotobi, Nollywood actors and actresses, among others.
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