Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said on Thursday, 16 February, 2023, that Governor ‘Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has done a good job with his leadership of the state.
Tinubu, who was speaking inside the Executive Council Chambers of the Governor’s Office, Agodi, Ibadan, during a courtesy visit, in the course of his presidential campaign tour of Oyo State, said that Makinde had demonstrated attributes of a good leader, a hardworking individual, whom he said, has performed admirably in the state.
The APC Presidential Candidate, while expressing his mission to the state, equally commended Makinde for being a lucky individual to be part of the history of a great state like Oyo, adding that national politics should be devoid of ethnic sentiments.
He maintained that his aspiration is to become the next president of a united and secured Nigeria, while assuring that the APC rally in the state would be peaceful and orderly, devoid of any crisis.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted Makinde, who equally spoke at the Executive Council Chambers of his office, as reiterating the position of the G-5 governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring that the governors were concerned about equity, justice and unity of Nigeria.
Tinubu had said: “I am aspiring to become the president of a united, one country, Nigeria, and for that sake, political divide and separation must be clearly out of our way.
“That is why the first port of call should be the Chief Executive and the Chief Security Officer of the state, constitutionally. So, I am here to give you insights into why we are all in Oyo State today.
“I really want to thank you for your good reception because it is not easy to take an opposition entourage into the canopy of your own shade, but you did.
“Equally, you have demonstrated the characteristics of a good leader, a persevering individual, hardworking regardless of our political divide, and respectful in every aspect of your behaviour.
“So, today, I decided to pay you that respect and thank you for the good job you are doing in Oyo State.”
In his remarks, Governor Makinde said that the people of Oyo State will vote for equity, fairness, justice, and unity of Nigeria in the presidential election.
He explained that as Governor of Oyo State, he does not play politics with governance, noting that the government always puts the people first as opposed to party affiliation.
The Governor maintained that the message of the G-5 governors and integrity group is that, if they have to choose between the unity of this country and political aspirations, they will choose the unity of this country.
He equally stated that if Nigeria is to progress, citizens must evolve a system that includes inclusivity, fairness, justice, and equity in how the country is run.
He said: “Let me use this opportunity to welcome you to Oyo State for your campaign. We have done everything to ensure that the exercise is peaceful and also enable you to pass your message to the people of the state.
“We don’t play politics with governance here. I have my brother here, the former Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola. We worked together irrespective of the party affiliations, to solve a particular problem, which has lingered between Oyo and Osun States. It is a demonstration of putting our people first as opposed to the party affiliations.
“Like you rightly pointed out, Sir, if you look at the wall (in the Executive Council Chambers), you will see from the colonial masters all the way to the immediate past Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
“Here, we do have a sense of history, and some of them ruled under different political parties.
“So, players will come and go but our country will remain.
“We, the G-5 and Integrity group are saying that, look, if we have to choose between the unity of this country and our political aspirations, we will choose the unity of this country.
“So, I alluded to the sacrifices made by our APC colleagues, the governors from the Northern part of this country because we also monitored your emergence, and they sacrificed certain things for the unity of this country.
“If we have to move forward as a people, we have to evolve a system such that there is inclusivity, fairness, justice and equity in how we run this country. If the country does not survive, the political parties will fade away.
“So, I will say that I wish you well. It is only a few days to go; about nine days.
“One thing I want you to take away from this visit today is the fact that we will vote for equity, for fairness, for justice and for unity of Nigeria in this presidential election.”
Members of the APC entourage include Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Minister for Youths and Sports Development, Chief Sunday Dare; Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State; former governors: Gboyega Oyetola, Kayode Fayemi, of Osun and Ekiti States respectively; and the former Interim National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande.
Others were: former Minister and Senator from Lagos State, Musiliu Obanikoro; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole; and other top leaders of the APC.
