A leader of the SouthWest professionals based in the United States of America (USA), Chief Segun Ajibulu, has admonished stakeholders in the Zone to approach the 2023 Presidential Election with all the seriousness that it deserved if the geopolitical Zone must succeed.
Ajibulu, a pro-democracy activist, in a statement made to Newsjaunts Online, also warned that the South-West might be shooting itself in the foot if it jettisoned the towering political profile of the former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in the all-important contest.
According to him, pulling Tinubu down now would amount to scoring an own goal in an important tournament.
Though the Ekiti-born chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) acknowledged that the Zone has a lot of competent hands, he, however, posited that none could match the popularity of Tinubu for now.
He argued that only selfless and well-coordinated preparations could earn the Yoruba the presidential ticket in the wake of competing forces from other ethnic nationalities.
He said: “While it is the right of every qualified Nigerian to aspire for the presidential position, it will amount to shooting ourselves in the foot, should we overlook a popular candidate like Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and fractionalize our efforts.
“The political records of Asiwaju are obviously unmatched by contemporary politicians and this attests to his national popularity. We (Yoruba) will be doing ourselves a lot of good this time by quickly settling for the one we know has the weight and capacity to do it without dilly-dallying.
“As we give thanks to God, we also have to be conscious of our tomorrow as a people and design a laudable future for ourselves. This could only be attained through, love, unity and sincerity of purpose.null
“The Yoruba have to come together, this time, more than ever before, to jaw-jaw and come up with a popular and credible candidate that will represent our party in the coming presidential race. The need for this is important, now that we have other contending forces already putting up strategies on how to ensure the presidency eludes us.”
Ajibulu is of the opinion that APC Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has the requisite clout and political sagacity for the nation’s number one seat and should be considered to represent the south west in the contest for the apex position.
Commenting on the infighting in Ekiti APC, Ajibulu urged the warring factions to sue for peace, stressing the need to embrace love and work in unity towards achieving the lofty objectives the party sets out to achieve in record time is sacrosanct.
“As we enter the new year, I consider it is imperative to thank the Almighty God for saving our lives despite the ravaging effect of the Coronavirus that engulfed the world, killed people in their thousands and left the global economy so horrible.
This, he said, is the only way to guarantee bountiful democratic gains for members and the state indigenes as a whole.
He noted that Ekiti has been politically favoured enough now that power is with the APC, to guarantee the much-needed lee-way that would catapult Ekiti into a state of splendour and envy, even in the face of myriad challenges.
“I think we should still remember the lack of cohesion that led to our losing to our rival party in 2014. This should sound a warning to us as we begin another journey towards 2022.
“Noting that charity begins at home, Ajibulu said APC in Ekiti state should by now start working hard toward recording another resounding success in the 2022 governorship elections, to ensure developmental continuityhe APC chieftain felicitates with the Ekiti born Special Adviser to the President on Politics, Sen Babafemi Ojudu, who recently recovered from the attack of Coronavirus and wish him well.
He further commended the people of Ekiti state for being peaceful and orderly during the Christmas and new year festivals and enjoined them to painstakingly observe the COVID-19 requirements in the new year.
“I congratulate heartily, my friend and political ally, Babafemi Ojudu, who was rescued recently from the jaws of death with the attack of COVID-19. His case is a pointer to the fact that the virus is here and real.
“We have to stay healthy to be alive to enjoy the benefits of good governance. COVID-19 is very real and it is taking more dangerous trend more than the first phase now.
“As a people, we need to be alive to the safety requirements; avoid crowded gathering, use your face masks and also ensure you wash your hands always. Coronavirus is a demon that can be conquered,” he sided.
