Loyalists of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, inaugurated a presidential campaign movement tagged, ‘The South-West Agenda for him in readiness for the 2023 presidency.
Ahead of the inauguration, a campaign committee led by former Minister of Works, Senator Adedayo Adeyeye, from Ekiti State, had visited the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, for prayers in their respective palaces, on Monday.
While Tinubu has not publicly declared his ambition for 2023, opinions and rumour have since last year dominated political space that former Lagos State Governor is eyeing number office in the land.
Present at the Mauve 21 Event Centre venue of the inauguration of SWAGA 2023 campaign were political allies and disciples of the National Leader of the APC.
Among them were former minister of state for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro; Chairman, Planning Committee of SWAGA 2023, Senator Dayo Adeyeye, Senator Adesoji Akanbi, representing Oyo South Senatorial District; former House of Representatives member, Otunba Abayomi Ogunnusi.
Adeyeye said, “For the discerning mind, 2023 election is already on the front burner of national discourse. The discussion right now everywhere in the country is about what should and should not happen in 2023. That being the case, it is imperative that we should be part of these national discussions and activities.
“We are asking him to come out and we are asking the entire people of the South-West to rally round him to make him the next president of Nigeria. Every geo-political zone in the South has the right to produce a candidate, but the one that work harder would emerge. Don’t forget, all the citizens of Nigeria will vote to choose the next president.”
Ikuforiji said, “In Asiwaju, you have a very great democrat. How much of a visionary leader he is; those who knew Lagos before 1999 would recall for instance that at Oshodi, where there are three lanes, refuse covered two lanes. Today, Lagos is a source of pride to all Nigeria.
“There is no country in the entire Nigeria that can compete with Lagos. If you take Lagos out of Nigeria, Lagos becomes the fifth largest economy in Nigeria. He brought in politicians as well as technocrats. That has resulted to the country we have today. This is not about Bola Tinubu, it is about how Nigeria could be well.”
While delegates from Lagos described Tinubu as the architect of the pivot of development upon which Lagos stood, those from Osun described him as the man who rescued the people of the state from the trenches which a former governor imprisoned them for three and half years.
Those from Ogun State said Tinubu’s administration gave the Gateway State a model of governance and development.
