South-west Leaders Back Tinubu for President

•I’ll win this election, ex-Lagos governor boasts

Sons and daughters of the Yoruba race, yesterday, convened in Lagos State for a special summit to discuss the way forward ahead of next Saturday’s presidential election, where they endorsed and supported the aspiration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

Elder statesmen, traditional rulers, religious leaders, frontline politicians, youth groups, cultural and market leaders took a unanimous stand, and adopted Tinubu as their presidential candidate, even as the  candidate boasted he would coast home to victory. s

It was at the Yoruba and Southwest Leaders of Thought Summit hosted by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at Eko Hotels on Victoria Island and attended by Tinubu in company with his running mate, Kashim Shettima.

Also at the event were, the Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji; former Ogun State governors, Aremo Olusegun Osoba and Otunba Gbenga Daniel; former Osun State governor, Gboyega Oyetola; APC gubernatorial candidate in Oyo State, Senator Teslim Folarin; first class traditional rulers across the South-west and retired Methodist Archbishop of Ilesa and Ibadan, Pa. Ayo Ladigbolu, among others.

Besides, Council of Imams and Ulamah of Lagos State also threw their weight behind Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu.

The stand, the Yoruba elders said, was taken after they thoroughly reviewed the situation in the country and examined programmes of all candidates vying to succeed the outgoing president.

They said their endorsement of Tinubu was predicated on the assessment of the APC candidate’s political trajectory and ability to offer the kind of leadership the nation required in the next dispensation, adding also that their decision to support Tinubu was a reflection of the political desire of the Southwest region.

Former Oyo Deputy Governor, Chief Sooko Iyiola Oladokun, who spoke on behalf the of the Yoruba Leaders of Thought, described Tinubu as the most qualified person among the contestants, saying the Southwest would not sacrifice capacity on the altar of political correctness.

Oladokun moved a motion for the assembly to openly endorse Tinubu, and was seconded by Chief Akin Oluwadare, after which the assembly unanimously approved the resolution.

Tinubu described the solidarity as “overwhelming”, saying the wishes of the Southwest leaders was on the verge of becoming a reality, adding that, winning his party’s nomination was not an easy task.

According to him, after his victory at the primaries, he rolled out his campaign, during which he visited all the 36 states to canvass for vote.

He told the Southwest leaders to put their minds at rest, stressing that he would coast home to victory.

He said, “We are on the verge of changing our story and charting a new path forward. We have won the ticket not only to stand for good cause, but also to show we have the capacity to deliver. We have done all required of us, after winning the party nomination.

“There is no state we have not touched across the country. Some people were even afraid, given the level of energy we have put in. They had thought our energy would fizzle out along the way, but we are as strong as the idea we represent.

“This evening, I urge you to go and put your mind at rest. We shall be victorious. This history unfolding before our eyes shall end in good memories for us. I am not going to reveal everything about this journey here; there shall be a day for that. Let us go out en mass and vote. We are bringing home the victory.”

Describing the move as historic, Sanwo-Olu said Tinubu’s endorsement by his kinsmen was appropriate, given the prominence brought to the Yoruba race by the APC presidential candidate in the politics of the country.

The governor said Tinubu remained a detribalised politician and national figure, who never subscribed to religious bigotry and ethnic profiling.

He said: “This is not about ethnic sentiment or playing identity cards. This endorsement is about identifying with a candidate, who has the capacity and supporting someone, who truly knows the road. We all have seen how he has demonstrated his capability and capacity as governor of Lagos and his achievements today speak for themselves.”

Osoba recalled that Tinubu’s presidential aspiration was ignited in 2007 shortly after he completed his two-term tenure as governor of Lagos, disclosing that all Yoruba leaders unanimously resolved that he moved to the national level.

The former Ogun governor accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of frustrating various attempts by the Southwest leaders to unify the region under a political philosophy synonymous with ideology of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

“This is an auspicious moment in our history and I urge all the people of Southwest to come together and stand behind Tinubu. There is no tribe in Nigeria that never benefits from the economic system of Lagos. Yoruba race is happy with the status of Lagos today. Let us come out and support him. We must do this to bring Awolowo’s dream back to life,” he said.

Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Akanbi, said Tinubu was standing for election in most important period in the nation’s history, stressing that the APC candidate possessed the courage and intellectual capacity of the late Awolowo.

 Iyaloja-General of Osun State, Iyalode Hawau Sindemade, said Tinubu had built a reputation among the Yoruba people as a leader, who usually stands with the masses.

Other Islamic groups and organisations that endorsed Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu were Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Nawair-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, League of Azthans in Lagos, and the Federation of Muslim Women’s Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN).