From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
Political gladiators and groups loyal to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday launched his campaign movement for the 2023 presidential election.
They called the movement “The New Nigerian Tribe.”
Speaking at the well attended event held in Kano, House of Representatives member representing Tarauni LGA, Hon. Hafiz Kawu declared that “Professor Osinbajo is a loyal and dependable Nigerian who has all that it takes to lead the country.”
The launch of Vice President Osinbajo’s Campaign Movement comes less than a week after the National Leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu, informed President Muhammadu Buhari of his decision to throw his hat into the ring.
Kawu who was a personal assistant to the vice president between 2015 and 2019, added that Osinbajo believes in the youths of Nigeria, saying that was why most of those that work with him are below the age of 40, insisting that the VP believes in one Nigeria.
Also, speaking at the event, the leader of the group, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, insisted that of all those who have declared interest in the nation’s top job, Osinbajo remained the best, describing him as a “tested and trusted hand, with the right temperament, the intellectual fire power, and governance ethos best suited for this moment”.
He pointed out that too often, Nigerians have been promised better governance by individuals who have continuously preyed on the legitimate desires of the people for their conditions to be improved, the very reason Osinbajo’s aspiration comes as a breath of fresh air.
“For me, it is an easy choice to make. For millions of Nigerians, given a chance, it should equally be an easy choice to make except that many are mired in pessimism that arose from wanton betrayal by governments. For the New Tribe here gathered plus millions of our cohorts all over Nigeria, our choice is clear and simple. It is Vice President Osinbajo!”
Adeyeye explained that Osinbajo’s suitability for the nation’s top job was not in doubt given that his rise to prominence is not a fluke or a national infatuation, but the consequence of his remarkable skills.
According to him, Osinbajo has all that it takes— “a keen intellect, noble intentions and the wit and grace to express them in ways that have inspired millions across the country.
“Osinbajo has a rare gift exactly suited to the fearful times – he knows the language of reassurance and hope. Whatever Osinbajo says is carefully considered, whether in private discourse or in public fora, Osinbajo has been the voice of moderation, combining common sense and compassion on issue after issue”.
He posited that in this trying period, Nigeria needs a statesman who envisions Nigeria as a self-sufficient, self-sustaining, upper middle tier country in the shortest possible time and not some selfish leaders that have been pulling the nation back.
“The choice of Kano as the place to launch the New Tribe is symbolic and historic. In Kano we find the numbers, the richness of culture and resourcefulness that will serve as the raw materials for the future we so desperately desire. Kano speaks to our past, the present and our future in unique and evocative ways. It is appropriate that it is in the city of Kano that we today launch the birth of a New Tribe that will herald the birth of a new Nigeria,” Adeyeye said.
Notable politicians present at the event include former Deputy Governor of Kano State, Hafiz Abubakar, former Kano State House of Assembly member, Hon. Aliko Mukhtar Shuaibu and longtime political player, Hon AbdulRahman Baffa Yola.