Tinubu, best option for Nigeria, say, Yoruba groups
Representatives of 121 Pan Yoruba, civil society and community-based groups in the Southwest, on Thursday, adopted the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as their preferred choice in the coming election.
The groups, under the auspices of Alliance of Yoruba Democratic Movements (AYDM) said Yorubas in the Southwest consider Tinubu as the best option in the 2023 general election.
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Presenting the official declaration of their support for Tinubu, the Leader, of Southwest Progressive Youth Peoples Movement, Taiwo Ajayi, said the groups are not unaware of the rights of people whose choices may be different, they demand theirs be respected.
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He noted that Tinubu’s victory at the polls would lift Nigeria higher from its present state of affairs to the benefit of all, irrespective of colour, creed, faith and religion.
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The groups also cautioned and warned those demonising Yorubaland, urging them to desist from propagating false narratives about the region.Â
They also announced the appointment of 150,000 campaign volunteers, whose mandate is to canvass for votes, to ensure 90 per cent turnout of voters in the southwest, protect the mandate and ensure votes are not stolen.
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Ajayi said: “On the field, we shall meet. Let us face it, in coming to this conclusion, we considered many factors, first is the capacity and political sagacity of the candidate, the rich history in an anti-fascist campaign of the 1980s through the 1990s, the possession of raw courage, liberal investment in pro-democracy struggle, a tradition of tolerance for dissent and above all, the ability to transform and reengineer the current APC as a political party likely to provide the impetus that will lead to the restructuring of Nigeria, being the minimum condition necessary for the growth and prosperity of the country.
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“It is on this basis that we adopt Tinubu for the 2023 presidential election. Those who hate his candidacy do so for many reasons, one of which is their hatred for anything Yoruba, which they continue to propel using false narratives to justify their anger against the dignity associated with Yoruba heritage.”
He said since 1960 when Nigeria gained independence, there have been 14 presidents and heads of state and out of the 12 presidents and heads of state, only one has been Yoruba.
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“Two were of Igbo extraction, (Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Maj-Gen Aguiyi Ironsi), one from Middle Belt (Yakubu Gowon), one is Kanuri (Gen Sani Abacha), while five are of Fulani extraction (Gens Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalam Abubakar, Muhammadu Buhari, Alhaji Shehu Shagari and Murtala Mohammed). It is mischievous not to admit that the history of Nigeria postcolonial elections began in 1960 not 1999,” Ajayi said.
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The groups maintained that, presently, the most popular political party in the Southwest, which the people have chosen by themselves, within the context of the limited options, is the APC.
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They said the APC, which has been in power in Lagos State since 1999 has done its best not to disappoint the local and international community, adding that the state has become the reference point in the progressive transformation of the political and economic landscape.
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The groups said the same successes have been recorded in the APC-controlled states of Ekiti, Ondo, among others, where the party had ruled.
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They said it is naïve to assume that the biggest alternative for Nigerians is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which had ruled Nigeria for 16 years characterised by rot, depression and melancholy. “It is a mistake to think such a party would suddenly transform itself,” the groups said.
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“This is not to diminish the fact that the APC has immense contradictions and should not be seen as an end in itself. Within the context of Nigerian political framework and given the options available to the people, the APC is better but not the best. Faced with a difficult situation in an extremely testy field, the Yoruba of the Southwest have to make a choice in 2023 considering the better possible options.
“From our own prior, informed consent and weighing the variety of choices available to the people of the Southwest, we have to pick a candidate near the prospect of allaying our fears as a people. In making this choice, we are not unaware of the rights of the people of the Southwest who may differ. We respect their opinions. We urge them to respect ours. Our choice is ours, their choice is theirs,” they said.
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President Southwest Professional Forum, Chief Segun Ajibulu, said Tinubu is the surest bet amongst so many options in the present political dispensation in Nigeria.
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He said it is a far cry from an act of hero-worship to say Tinubu stands towering far and above other presidential aspirants gunning for the coveted job of Aso Rock, given his requisite experiences all-round skills and scorecard as a former senator, activist and Lagos State governor.
Ajibulu said this situates him in the most vantage position for the job of the number one citizen of Nigeria, adding that the nation needs the political sagacity of Asiwaju.
“Asiwaju has an enviable pedigree of an undauntedly detribalised leader, who is endowed with unparalleled talent management and creative problem-solving abilities. His legacy as former governor, alongside an army of stars he has raised in all departments of endeavours, speaks volumes of his capacity and capability to rescue Nigeria from asphyxiating grips of prospective political hucksters.
“We cannot afford a self-centered or a dreamer whose propaganda numbers never add up to run this country at this critical stage of our nation. This is not the time for trial and error. Bola Ahamed Tinubu will deliver,” Ajibulu said.
He expressed optimism that Tinubu’s administration would provide transformational leadership, which would serve as a unifying force for all Nigerians home and abroad.
“Simply put, his transformational leadership style will engender swift attainment of shared goals and vision for our country and citizenry.”
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