By Abiola Olawale
Some past and current Speakers of State House of Assembly in the Southwest geo-political zone of Nigeria, stormed Ibadan, Oyo State on Thursday as Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former Governor of Lagos State continues to court political leaders around the country to buy into his purported 2023 presidential ambition.
Reports indicate that 20 past and current speakers in the Southwest were among the political allies of All Progressives Congress (APC) Chieftain who attended the meeting.
Although Tinubu, 68, was yet to declare whether he would be contesting in the election, the meeting was held solely for the purpose of drumming support for Tinubu in the next presidential election that’s still two years away.
Honorable Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Honorable Mojeed Alabi and Honorable Najeem Salam who are both former speakers of Osun State House of Assembly, Honorable Asimiyu Alarape, a former speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, among others were present in the solidarity meeting in Ibadan.
While speaking on the purpose of the meeting, Obasa, who convened the meeting, said the past and current speakers have taken it upon themselves to support Tinubu’s presidential ambition.
He also added that all the past and current speakers present at the meeting will go back to their various states and start canvassing for Tinubu, one of the national leaders of the APC.
He said the speakers will make sure that the actualisation of Tinubu’s ambition is made possible.
Aliyu Saulawa, the National Coordinator of Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) Movement, who was also present at the meeting said the purpose of the meeting is to make sure power comes back to Southwest.
He said, “What was resolved at the meeting include, that power must shift to the South and that the Southwest must produce the next president. That Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, being a Yoruba man with the capacity, experience and means should be the candidate to be supported to emerge as the next president of Nigeria. That Asiwaju Tinubu still needs to do more networking in Yoruba land, especially amongst serving and past governors so they voices of dissent can be reduced to the barest minimum. That all stakeholders here present should go back home and start the Asiwaju Tinubu presidential project pending when he will come out publicly to agree to contest.”
