The South-South Movement for Tinubu-Shettima (SSMTS), following a meeting by members from Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross Rivers, Delta and Edo states, has pledged to work for the electoral victory of presidential and vice presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima.

It said it would intensify mobilisation in the nooks and crannies of the South-South, deepen consultation, and market the candidates to ensure a landslide victory.

The group said the ticket “perfectly represents yearnings for a president of Southern extraction in 2023, as echoed in the Asaba Declaration of May 11, 2021 by 17 governors of southern Nigeria.

This was disclosed in a communique in Warri, Delta State, signed by National Coordinator, Besidone Eyengho; National Secretary, Dr. Emem Wills; National Organising Secretary, Thank God Deizigha; National Publicity Secretary, Nwulu Uche; State Coordinator, George Ogaga and Member, Abu Momodu.

The group condemned campaigns of calumny against the Tinubu-Shettima ticket, saying they are part of antics by “desperate and drowning politicians” to derail the duo.

It said the ticket is the best choice for answers to multi-faceted problems confronting Nigeria. It also urged stakeholders in the region to embrace the ticket to guarantee a prosperous Nigeria.

The communique reads in part: “The APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, is hale, hearty, agile and fit to tackle the challenges and demands of a prosperous Nigeria.

“Sincere and concerted efforts should be made to return the South-South fully into the mainstream of national politics to ensure meaningful and accelerated development in the region.

“The ticket will return the country to a path of sustainable peace, socio-economic growth and development.”