[ad_1]
THE presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, on Sunday visited elder statesman, Pa Reuben Fasoranti at his residence in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, to present his manifesto for the 2023 elections.
The event, was witnessed by a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Olu Falae and other personalities from the six states making up the South-West zone, as well as Kwara and Kogi states.
Speaking during the visit, Pa Fasoranti prayed for Tinub’s aspiration. Fasoranti recalled that Tinubu visited him prior to the APC primary seeking his blessing, “but I advised him to go and work towards getting his party’s ticket before receiving my blessings and support for his aspiration.”
He described Tinubu as a unifier and politician with no iota of tribal or religious bigotry and capable of sustaining the unity of Nigeria, noting that the APC candidate turned Lagos to a megacity during his tenure as the governor of the state from 1999 to 2007.
Speaking on behalf of the leaders that converged on Fasoranti’s residence, a former Secretary General of the pan Yoruba group, Afenifere, Bashorun Seinde Arogbofa, said Tinubu is a complete Nigerian, who is not only popular among his people but across the country.
He charged Tinubu to be a leader that would unite and work for the progress and development of the country.
Arogbofa warned: “Don’t let us have any regrets for supporting you. Our expectation on restructuring must be included in your agenda. We want you to remember this when you get there; people have been clamouring for and yearning for it.
“You are not just a Yoruba man but a Nigerian. When you become President, take Nigeria into consideration in all you do but you should never forget home.
“Our demands are what you know already: restructuring, security and fixing the economy. Our country is no longer safe. We want state police so that the country will be safe.”
Former SGF, Chief Falae also charged the APC candidate to work to fix the economy, as the country, according to him, is currently upside down in terms of security and economy.
Falae decried the free fall of the national currency (Naira), urging Tinubu to restore the economy and put Nigeria in the comity of nations.
The former presidential candidate said he used all his life to serve Nigeria and at his old age, he does not want all those sacrifices to have been wasted.
“When you become President, please work to fix this country. We are here to offer advice. I am old and no longer looking for job. We need to fix security, fix our economy.
“Our naira is almost becoming useless and will soon become N1, 000 to a dollar. We must change that. I know your ability. We will always be here to support and I wish you well. We will be here when you bring the trophy home, by the grace of God.
Tinubu while speaking, said Nigerians should expect to see a demonstrated thinking capacity and an outstanding performance if he is elected to power in 2023.
He noted that his emergence as APC candidate showed and proved to him that Nigeria can survive its unity and other challenges confronting it as a nation, pledging not to give up about Nigeria.
Tinubu had said he was in Akure to present his 80-page blueprint ahead of the 2023 election to the leader.
Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Honourable Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who received Tinubu and his delegation on behalf of the state governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, said the people of the state would support Tinubu to win, stressing: “Asiwaju has the reach, the competence to lead Nigeria.”
In his remark, Ekiti State governor, Biodun Oyebanji assured the Yoruba leaders that all the governors of South-West and Ekiti people are behind Tinubu’s bid. “We are happy to receive our leader, Asiwaju Tinubu, today. I want to assure him and our fathers that we will support him to the end,” Oyebanji said.
Also, Oyo State governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Bayo Lawal, said: “Though we are not in the same party but from the same race, we are pacesetter and we will continue to be pacesetter and associate with other pacesetters in every spheres.”
The personalities at the event included: retired Methodist Bishop, Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu; Chief Pius Akinyelure; Professor Isaac Adewole; Otunba Gbenga Daniel; Lieutenant General Alani Akinrinade (retd); General Olu Bajowa; Mr Sola Iji; General Secretary of Yoruba Council of Elders, Dr Kunle Olajide; Senator Cornelius Adebayo; Senator Iyiola Omisore and Chief Bisi Akande; Mr Dare Babarinsa. Others were Chief Segun Adesegun, who represented former Governor Segun Osoba of Ogun State; Senator Tony Adefuye, Senator Dayo Adeyeye. Reacting to the ‘Akure blessing,’ a prominent member of the Executive Committee of Afenifere, Professor Akinyemi Onigbinde faulted the gathering that ‘endorsed’ the presidential bid of the All Progressives congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, saying those at the gathering had distant ties with the main pan-Yoruba organization, Afenifere.
Shedding light on the structure and workings of Afenifere, Oningbinde, in a statement, said he was privy to futile moves to drag the leadership of the Afenifere into the Akure project.
The statement of Professor Onigbinde read: “Not a single member of the executive committee of Afenifere, under the leadership of Pa Ayo Adebanjo, as duly put in place by Pa Reuben Fasoranti when he handed over the leadership to Pa Ayo Adebanjo, was present at the Akure meeting.
“Not even Afenifere General Secretary who is from Ondo state, and probably lives in Akure dignified the crowd of APC faithfuls at the premises of Pa Fasonranti with his esteemed presence.
“Unknown to many, Pa Fasoranti called Pa Ayo Adebanjo and informed him of Bola Tinubu’s request to pay him a visit, and wanted to know if he should go ahead to grant him audience. Pa Adebanjo advised that it would not be proper to not receive the APC presidential candidate, as others would still come on such visits.
“I am a member of Afenifere EXCO, I am a member of the caucus, and I am also on the political committee, and I was duly invited to Akure meeting, through a telephone call by Alagba Seinde Arogbofa.I declined, and I informed him that he should inform Pa Fasoranti of my apology to not honour his invitation to join him in receiving Bola Tinubu.
“I looked through the list of those present at the Akure ‘blessing’ of the presidential bid of Bola Tinubu, they are majorly people whose ties with Afenifere is so distant, as to be non-existent. “Many of them, supposed Afenifere members, have not been at any of Afenifere monthly general meetings in the last two years.
“They are at best functional APC members, who should be in the company of their party candidate to seek support from anyone that may be willing to give it.
“Yet, one or two definitely went to Akure to honour Pa Reuben Fasoranti’s invitation, out of respect for the old man. On Bola Tinubu’s presidential bid, Afenifere stand is clear, and it is not an Ayo Adebanjo personal position.”
Also, the Afenifere, through a statement signed by Mogaji Gboyega Adejumo said what transpired in Akure was nothing new but “a mere show of political antics.”
The statement said Pa Fasoranti resigned as leader of Afenifere last year with Pa Ayo Adebanjo stepping in as acting leader, and that the organisation has a well defined leadership structure, which is firmly in the hands of Pa Ayo Adebanjo.
It read: “Chief Fasoranti resigned as leader last year, you may recall. Chief Ayo Adebanjo is his successor, with Oba Oladipo Olaitan as his Deputy.
“Afenifere has an executive committee to which I belong. It is if anyone in that committee is seen to be supporting Tinubu that I am sure the organization will take appropriate actions. “Anyone following the developments in Afẹnifẹre in ́ the past years, will be conversant with the fact that Chief Fasoranti resigned from being Afenifere Leader. He therefore took himself out of partisan politics.”
