From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Loyalists and supporters of the National Leader of ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the five southwest states, on Tuesday, launched the Ogun State chapter of the South-West Agenda for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (SWAGA 2023) in Abeokuta, the state capital.
The support group also unveiled the state coordinators including former Senator who represented Ogun Central between 2011 and 2015, Gbenga Obadara, former House of Representatives member, Abiodun Ishiaq Akinlade, APC governorship aspirant in the 2019 general elections, Owodunni Opayemi and immediate past Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Suraj Adekunbi.
Speaking, the national chairman of the group, Senator Dayo Adeyeye, said the main objective of the group was to rally support in the southwest and beyond towards ensuring the emergence of Tinubu as the country’s next president.
According to him, there is no politician presently in the southwest that can contend the national acceptance and candidature of the former state governor, saying “Tinubu’s emergence as President Buhari’s successor will result in total transformation of the nation”.
Delivering his keynote address, Prof. Yemi Oke disclosed that the choice of Tinubu by the group was as a result of his immense contribution to the political and economic development of the southwest and the nation.
He opined that SWAGA might have considered other politicians in the region within the party, but none was found as competent as the APC national leader.
While recalling Tinubu’s achievements as the governor of Lagos State, Oke affirmed that there was no other Yoruba leader who could beat Asiwaju’s achievements in the southwest zone, hence, he’s consideration for the presidency come 2023.
He, however, challenged other political leaders in the south-west to contend Tinubu’s aspiration, saying “such a person must tell us the impact he has made in Yorubaland and Nigeria as a whole”.
“Nobody is talking about anybody in the party. Yorubas have come together for one purpose and our message is loud and clear, the next dispensation, we are clamoring for the emergence of a Yoruba man as the next president of this country.
“We have searched through all major Yoruba politicians, all are qualified, no doubt, but the best of them is Bola Ahmed Tinubu and that is what has brought us together. In unison, we are saying, Asiwaju should come out and run for presidency.
“In the evolution of political engagement in Nigeria, Youruba played very critical role and we can reflect the tremendous contributions of Tinubu, which nobody will doubt. Most governors in the country emerged through the help of Tinubu. We believe strongly in the unity of this country without losing the Yoruba agenda”. Oke stated.