From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Media Publishers of northern extraction under the auspices of Patriotic Indigenes of Northern Publishers Association (PINPA) has disagreed with former military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) over the endorsement of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for the 2023 presidency.
The former military president had said in late December 2021 that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was the best person to lead Nigeria in 2023.
IBB expressed the view while receiving the Osinbajo Grassroot Organisation at his Hill Top residence in Minna, the Niger State capital.
He urged Osinbajo to remain focused and resilient.
However, while addressing a press conference, the National President of PINPA, Musa Ajogie disagreed with IBB, saying the best man for the nation’s number one seat is the national leader of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Ajogie argued that it was a payback time for Tinubu to take over from Buhari having supported and brought Buhari to power in 2015 and 2019 respectively.
“The endorsement of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for the presidency comes 2023 by former military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida(IBB) was, therefore, the biggest joke of the year 2021.
“We don’t think that former military President’s endorsement of Osinbajo can be binding on all Nigerians and the All Progressive Congress (APC).
“It is true that IBB belongs to the class of the military Generals like T.Y Danjuma, Olusegun Obasanjo, Mohammed Aliyu Gusau, amongst others who were the founding members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and not of the APC, the ruling party in Nigeria today.
“The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari knows whom he will hand over his government to and he knows to whom he will not hand over government comes 2023.
“We believe that the Jagaba, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is a known Nationalist. His leadership potentiality and suitability surpass Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
“Tinubu is a political Compatriot, a National arrowhead in politics and a political rare-gem capable of rescuing Nigeria from its fragile state which Osinbajo is superintending as the Vice President.
“Buhari should hand over to Tinubu because the Jagaba worked against the advice of his people when frontline Yoruba politicians warned Tinubu about the danger of being the strong advocate of bringing Muhammadu Buhari to be the nation’s president against national interest.
“Tinubu, as a political goal-getter in a democracy was capable of extracting water from the stone and changed the old ways in which politics is played in Nigeria. He has mentored so many people including Muhammadu Buhari in politics from 2015 and 2019 respectively.
“Today, majority of the people, including the Patriotic Indigenes of Northern Publishers Association (PINPA) have unanimously endorsed the most detribalised, National Team Player, the political strategist and long time political activist, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for 2023 presidency.
“A book in honour of Tinubu’s political Coast Clearing, written by PINPA in the North is billed for launching. Eminent people from all works of life will grace the book launch in honour of the man who has paid his political dues.
“For service to humanity and mankind, selfless service to the country, the majority of Nigerians have endorsed Tinubu for 2023 presidency”. Ajogie