Jubilation trail Tinubu’s victory as APC’s presidential candidate
…Victory vindicates APC’s nationalistic outlook — Adamu
…You have nothing to fear — Tinubu assures other aspirants
…Abiodun, Fayemi, Sanwo- Olu, others send goodwill messages
By Seth Akande and Ridwan Adekunke
Amid doubts and speculations that had rented the air in the past few months over who would fly the All Progressive Congress (APC)’s presidential flag, there was nationwide jubilation across states as a former Governor of Lagos State and the National leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerged winner defeating his closest rival, former Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon Rotimi Amaechi with 955 votes.
The Jagaban of Borgu polled 1271 votes while his closest rival scored 316 votes.
The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo was third in the pack, polling 235 votes. Other contestants such as the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan polled 47 and 152 votes.
Jubilations trail Jagaban’s emergence
Meanwhile, reactions have started trailing Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s emergence as the substantive APC’s presidential flag-bearer.
Having earlier announced the Senate President Ahmad Lawan as the preferred candidate of the party, which had almost thrown the members of the party into disarray, the Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu congratulated Tinubu for clinching the party’s ticket.
In a letter Wednesday night, the former Senator extended the compliments of members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
Adamu said his letter on behalf of all APC members was to congratulate Tinubu on “the sterling victory recorded.”
The chairman said his emergence has vindicated the party’s nationalistic outlook and patriotic posture as the choice for every Nigerian.
“I am pleased that the Party spoke with one voice when the delegates voted overwhelmingly to nominate you as our presidential candidate.”
Adamu expressed hope that efforts between the national secretariat and Tinubu’s campaign team “will proceed with the shared expectations of victory at the 2023 general elections, by the grace of God.”
On his part, the Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello congratulated National Leader of the All Progressives Congress and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on his emergence as the presidential candidate of the APC for the 2023 general election.
Bello, who was one of the leading contestants, described the election as peaceful.
The Director, Media and Publicity of the Yahaya Bello Presidential Campaign Organisation, Yemi Kolapo, said the Kogi Governor had accepted the outcome of the primaries and would give the needed support to ensure the victory of the flagbearer and the ruling party in the 2023 presidential election.
He said, “For us, we have always prayed that God who led him through the tough time and the sweet time in the past will definitely see him through as he is set to take the country from the shackle of darkness where terrorism, banditry hunger, insecurity, joblessness have led millions of Nigerians into desperation of searching for greener pasture elsewhere.”
Also, Edo state chairman of the APC, Col David Imuse (rtd) in a statement said, “I commend your courage, patriotism and remarkable spirit of sportsmanship which you displayed throughout the consultation period up to the National Convention.
“I also salute the doggedness, determination, the charisma and sagacity which you brought to bear on the Presidential primaries; this helped in no small way in uniting all the delegates across the country, including all of us from Edo State, in your favour.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that you are eminently qualified for the high office of the President of our great country and your aspiration is driven by patriotism which tallies with the mission of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to move our country forward.
“All of us as delegates have spoken and resoundingly so in electing Your Excellency as the Presidential standard bearer to lead our Party and indeed Nigerians to victory in 2023, buoyed by your performance record and unmatched popularity across the nation.
“It is not a coincidence that you took the mantle as a Presidential candidate a few days before Democracy day in the country; a date which significantly reinforces our unity as a nation, and invites you to lead the country on the path of national cohesion and economic prosperity.”
Similarly, Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has congratulated the National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on clinching the presidential ticket of the party.
Abiodun, in a statement, issued by him in Abeokuta, said the emergence of Tinubu as the APC presidential flag-bearer for the 2023 general election is a good omen for the party and the country as a whole.
According to him, the victory shows that Asiwaju Tinubu is widely loved and accepted within the country’s entire political spectrum, and shows his level of deep interactions and acceptance not only within the ruling APC but across Nigeria.
He said, “This victory indicates that Tinubu as a candidate is good for Nigeria, as it will foster unity, love and understanding amongst Nigerians. His electoral victory cut across all the six geopolitical zones; he had an impact in all the zones. He is the candidate to beat in the 2023 elections.
Governor Abiodun noted that Tinubu’s extensive political experience and understanding of national politics will surely come in handy when he squares up against candidates from other political parties during the 2023 presidential election.
While saluting his tenacity, courage and resilience, Abiodun expressed confidence that Tinubu will further deepen the Nation’s democratic ethos and good governance that will enhance the welfare and wellbeing of Nigerians.
The governor also commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Working Committee for providing the necessary leadership that made the presidential primary election a resounding success. Governor Abiodun further commended other aspirants for their remarkable sportsmanship which they displayed throughout the process.
Abiodun urged the leadership and members of the APC to work in unison with a view to ensuring victory in the general election next year.
“We are all winners and no one is a loser in this primary. We all should work together to take Nigeria to a higher pedestal,” the statement concluded.
In addition, Former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel described the APC flagbearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a dogged fighter who knows his onions and will go to lengths to achieve his strategic objectives.
In his congratulatory message to the APC flagbearer, Daniel said, “the Bola Tinubu that I know is a strategic thinker, a great planner and a well organised personality, which are the attributes that have worked for him not only in politics but also in his business and social relationships.”
Daniel said in the last two decades Tinubu’s political trajectory had shown that the sky might be the starting point for him.
He said this had clearly demonstrated with the energy he put behind his campaign and the eventual victory as the Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress which has proven Bookmakers wrong in all ramifications.
“Otunba Daniel wishes Asiwaju Tinubu well as he proceeds further in his campaign for the mandate of all Nigerians,” he said.
The Pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has also reacted to the emergence of Bola Tinubu as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Afenifere said the emergence of Tinubu, who comes from the Southern part of the country, was delightful.
The National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, said, “It is a known fact that the Southern and Middle Belt Leadership Forum, of which Afenifere is a key member, has been in the forefront of those advocating that power must shift to the southern part of Nigeria come 2023.
“For power to move to the South, there must be a Southern candidate or candidates. That was why we were strident in our calls on the political parties to field Southern candidates in the forthcoming Presidential election. By electing former Lagos State Governor, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, to fly its flag, the All Progressives Congress has met that minimum condition of fielding a Southern candidate.”
Ajayi also noted that a return to true federalism through the restructuring of the country has been an article of faith for Afenifere for a long time.
“It is our hope, indeed our demand, that the next President must get the country restructured immediately on assumption of office if the present administration under retired General Muhammadu Buhari failed to do so before leaving office.
“Not only that, the next administration owes us the duty of ensuring that the country is not only safe for everybody, the operational system must be such that no section or group would be in a position to dominate the other.
“In summing up, the emergence of a person of Southern extraction is highly welcomed. It is our hope that this will translate into power shifting to the South come 2023.”
In his victory speech, Tinubu assured other presidential aspirants who lost out in the election that they had nothing to fear as he “bears no grudges.”
Tinubu said, “Today is another historic day and it is thanks to God almighty that you are living healthy to witness it, to be part of it, to be your calling, to be your arrangement.”
He commended all his fellow aspirants for the stiff and strong opposition they offered which he said made the party better and himself humble.
“The competition is now over. Those who did not support me, you have nothing to fear. I hold no grudges. Let us join hands to beat the PDP and beat back their retrogressive understanding of Nigeria.
“They had 16 years, they depleted our resources and left us with hunger. Let us dig their graves by defeating them in the next election because they are the agents of poverty, terror, violence and lying,” he stated.
You have nothing to fear, I bear no grudges — Tinubu assures aspirants
While commending the leadership of the party, he said, “To the chairman of our party, senator Abdullahi Adamu, it appeared some weeks back that some newspapers and many people were ready to write the obituary of this party. We put together and pulled ourselves as a cat with nine lives.
“We thatched the roof, steadied the pillars and became master builders. You came on and worked hard with the collaboration of others and here we are. Shame on those who were already building the coffin of APC. Shame on them.
“Our party is alive. They won’t be able to do the convention but here we are, the first convention to choose the executives, the governors pulled themselves together, we did break our backs and we are here, very happy and confident and courageous to tell you that the cat that lies down quietly is not a pretension of death but breeding of its energy to devour its enemies.
“Now we are here, we will roar. We will do it. We will tell the Poverty Development Party. They call themselves PDP, 16 years of failures of wastefulness, we say step aside, be buried and leave the way for us. We will repair our country.
“We are Progressives, we are nation builders. We are not destroyers. We are confident that this nation is back on track,” he stated.
Preaching against wanton killings happening around the country, he stressed that, “We are not the barbaric, blind human beings they think we are. They are setting us against each other. When you were born, you didn’t hear from the womb whether you would be a male or female, Christian or Muslim. You were born to your parents and adopted their religions and you continued.
“The Bible taught us to love your neighbour as you love yourself. It did not say kill your neighbour. It is in the two holy books. Goodness for goodness. Learn to accept mistakes, not from gunshots or the destruction of lives and property because the life you take you cannot bring back, the hate you spill cannot cure your hunger. We must build a new society and learn to think of a new way of life.”
