2023: Atiku begins campaign for president, inaugurates support groups

Ahead of 2023 presidency, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2019 general elections and former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, has inaugurated his support groups across the 36 states of the federation.

The Atiku Support Group was launched in Abuja with Alhaji Abubakar Kabir Babawo named as its Director General and Atiku Aminu Mohammed as its Chairman.

The mission of the organisation, it was learnt, is to project the former Vice-President’s vision of sustainable national development as he prepares to formally declare his intention to contest the 2023 presidential election.

The state coordinators and zonal excos include Northcentral Zonal Coordinator, Orngu Anngu; Deputy Zonal Coordinator, Isiaka Mogaji; Women Leader Mabe Ameh; Benue State Coordinator George Odoo Ezekiel; Niger State Coordinator Hassana Shuaibu Dada; Kwara State Coordinator Segun Olawoyin; Kogi State Coordinator Ocheni Titus Okayi; Nasarawa State Coordinator Abubakar Agwai; Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Coordinator Agajo Daniel and Plateau State Coordinator Solomon Ballason Shitnan.

In other hands, the loyalists of the strong contester from the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), a former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, on Monday stormed Ibadan and Oyo town to seek the support of the traditional rulers in the two towns for the candidature of Tinubu ahead of the 2023 presidential polls.

The politicans said they have started mobilising youth, women, market leaders among others in the South-west ahead of 2023.

President Muhammadu Buhari will be completing his second and final term in 2023 and it is expected that political power at the presidential level would shift to the south of Nigeria.

Tinubu, who is a national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has not formally declared he would be contesting in 2023. The electoral commission, INEC, has also not declared campaigns open for the 2023 election.

The leader of the group canvassing for a Tinubu presidency in 2023, Dayo Adeyeye, said the group named, ‘The South West Agenda (SWAGA ’23),’ is a group of politicians from the South-west who are “championing a common front for the Yoruba race”.

Adeyeye, a former Ekiti senator and minister, was accompanied to the palaces of two traditional rulers on Monday by Soji Akanbi, a former senator who represented Oyo South between 2015 and 2019, and others.

Other politicans in the group included Oyetunde Ojo, believed to be an in-law to Tinubu; Bosun Oladele, a former member of House of Representatives and Rotimi Makinde, also an ex-lawmaker.

Others are Ifedayo Abegunde, immediate past Secretary to the Ondo State Government, Kafilat Ogbara, Toba Oke, Deji Jakande, Gboyega Okegbemi and Ahmed Olaofe.

Adeyeye said “The South West Agenda (SWAGA ’23), a group of rainbow coalition of likeminded politicians of South West extraction on Monday stormed the palaces of Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.

The tour is not a political campaign but a sensitization drive.

“The agenda of the group is to call out all well meaning South-Westerners to encourage, market and support the candidature of their Principal, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (the Jagaban Borgu) for the office of the President of Nigeria in 2023.

“Their goal is driven by desire for a common front to push the Yoruba Agenda for leadership of Nigeria.”

Adeyeye, at the palace of the Olubadan, said Tinubu “is the only politican who has what it takes to succeed Buhari in 2023”.

“What we are here to do is to seek the support of the Olubadan. Everyone is lobbying. We are here to tell the monarch that we are have interest in 2023 presidency.

“2023 is approaching; we have someone who can succeed President Muhamadu Buhari in 2023. He is Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. It is time for the South to succeed Buhari. This is why we say that the Yoruba has someone who is capable. I have been in politics for many years. I worked with Chief MKO Abiola and late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, there is no other person that has what it takes to succeed Buhari in 2023 except Tinubu. We are here to seek the support of the monarch.”

Makinde, who had earlier represented Ife Federal constituency in the House of Representatives while introducing the group to the Olubadan, said that Yoruba race and Nigerians in general stand to benefit much with Tinubu’s Presidency.

He said, “We are here to pay homage to the Olubadan palace. What we are here for is Yoruba to succeed Buhari is 2023. We can’t do this without visitation to the palace.

“I have the privilege to tell you that we are representing the Yoruba race. We are more than this. We are clamouring for Yoruba race to succeed President Muhamadu Buhari in 2023. And Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the man we are clamouring for.”

The Olubadan, in his remarks, said that the palace is open for all Yoruba politicians who wish to contest elections to seek support of the monarch.

He said, “I appreciate you all. I am proud of you. In Nigeria, if you don’t demand for your right, they many not give you. You will prosper with this group.

“Let me tell you that the doors of the palace are widely opened to all Yoruba politicians who wish to seek votes.”

The group also visited the Alaafin of Oyo, Lamidi Adeyemi.

The group also sought the monarch’s support for Tinubu.

 “There is no way we can do this kind of a thing without coming here. Politicking has started. What we are here to do is that who is next after Buhari?. We have someone who is capable. He is Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

“There is an arrangement, there is an agreement, it may not be written. But, we know that after North, then South. In the South, we have Tinubu in South-west.

“Tinubu has done it in Lagos State, even before he became the governor during NADECO days,” Mr Adeyeye said.

“Our mission is political. Politics has started and everyone is scrambling. We, the Yoruba people, see it as our turn because it is the agreement that presidency would be rotational,” he said.

 “We have both written and unwritten contracts. After President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years, it is the turn of the Yoruba.

“In the south, we have south-east, south-south and south-west. We have a joker in the south-west and the joker is Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who was part of the struggle for democracy. There are fundamentals of governance and we want someone who is versed in politics to go into the race. We see that Asiwaju Tinubu has the clout and he is qualified. As experienced politicians, we see that Tinubu is qualified.”

While responding, Alaafin said he believed in the group’s mission while lamenting that Nigeria political landscape is insincere.

“In Yoruba land, covenant is very important. We believe that with law of retributive justice, if you break covenant the repercussion is great. You may think the race for 2023 is too early but it is never too early to start,” he said.

 “Last week, Boko Haram slaughtered many people like goats. We cannot continue like that. If you want to have a country that is forward moving, there must be federal system of government. There is no sincerity in the politics of Nigeria. Things have not changed in this country; there is insincerity. We need to have a president who can listen.

“We have not been fortunate to have the kind of president that we deserve. We are the first to build skyscraper, cocoa industry, we had always been ahead. Money was used for the purpose for which it was meant, so we were prepared and developing. If education during the time of Chief Obafemi Awolowo was on concurrent list, there would not have been free education in the South-West. I believe in your mission.”

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