Ndigbo seeks votes for Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu

Ahead of the general election, Ndigbo in the Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) has endorsed the presidential candidate of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for president and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for re-election.

Speaking at the endorsement, the group described Tinubu as the best candidate to lead Nigeria after President Muhammadu Buhari.

The apex leader of the group and special adviser on drainage and water resources to Lagos State governor, Joe Igbokwe, said Igbo has the numbers to give Tinubu a massive victory in the state.

He said, “Igbo people are living in this state and I know where they live and their numbers. We have been working silently at the background and I think this is payback time for what Asiwaju has been doing for our people in Lagos.

“I remembered when he told our people to go to the Lekki corridor many years back because that is where new Lagos is and they went, today we can see their footprints and investments there. I can tell you, what our people have in Lagos; they don’t have a quarter of it in Igbo land. I mean solid structures, businesses, markets and companies; they don’t have a quarter of it in Igbo land.
“Asiwaju opened the gate for us to thrive and raised me up to more than I can be. It is not only me, it is across Nigeria. Asiwaju does not know East, West, South or North. He sees himself as proudly Nigerian and he has been able to build formidable followers across the country.

“Asiwaju is not a candidate of the southwest, he is a candidate of Nigeria and we promise to deliver the highest votes for him. The kind of structure Asiwaju has across Nigeria cannot be belittled and nobody has ever had that kind of structure in the history of this country. Therefore, he is the man to beat and I tell you even if you combine all the candidates together they will not be able to beat him.”

On his part, member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, representing Oshodi-Isolo constituency II, Jude Idimogu, said the target of Ndigbo in the state is to deliver five million votes for Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu.

Idimogu said, “Lagos State has the highest number of registered voters in Nigeria and our presidential candidate, Tinubu is from Lagos State, that is why we must deliver a minimum of five million votes for him. Ndigbo should know that all eyes are on us, let us ensure that we support Tinubu on Saturday and vote for him.

“For our governor, he doesn’t have a problem because we will vote for him but let me remind all of us that when we go home, we should know that the presidential election is a key election that all of us must face. I’m asking my Igbo brothers and sisters to protect where we are living because Lagos has been good to all of us; we are peaceful here and let us support the government of this land.”

The director general of the Independent Campaign Group (ICG) for Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu in Lagos State, Tayo Ayinde, thanked Ndigbo in the party for coming out to determine their support for Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu.

Ayinde charged them to mobilise all their people to vote for APC at all levels in the coming election.

“Your presence this afternoon has debunked that strong rumour that is going around that you don’t want to support Asiwaju for president but you want to support Sanwo-Olu for governor. But your presence here has dismissed that rumour that you want to do both.
“My people in ICG, we are convinced today that you are going to support all our candidates for senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly. I have told them that you will not disappoint me because I’m your person in government. Tell other people that are not here that they should not allow anybody to deceive them and they should not vote out of sentiments. Asiwaju is a detribalised Nigerian. He was the first person to include an Igbo man in the cabinet of Lagos State.”