Political allies and associates of the National Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on Wednesday gathered in Ibadan to intensify mobilization for the presidential bid of the Lagos state former governor.
The allies in attendance, drawn from the Southwest zone of the country include former and current Speakers of State Houses of Assembly in the geo-political zone.
According to sources, at least twenty current and past Speakers in the States’ Assemblies in the region were in attendance at the meeting.
The attendees include Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, former Speakers of Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Mojeed Alabi and Hon. Najeem Salam, former Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Asimiyu Alarape and former speakers from Ondo and Ekiti, among others.
Recall that some loyalists of the former Governor had last year visited two traditional rulers in Oyo State, drumming support for Tinubu.
Obasa, who is the convener of the meeting said all former and current Speakers in the region had taken it upon themselves to support Tinubu presidency in 2023, adding that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) Foundation is meant to break the shackles of poverty in the country.
The Lagos State Speaker said although, Tinubu has not given the go-ahead to kickstart any interest in the presidency, there is a need to deliberate on “this all-important issue on behalf of Tinubu”.
He enjoined all attendees at the meeting to go back to their respective states to set up the template that would see to the actualisation of Tinubu’s mandate.
While speaking on the essence and resolutions made at the meeting, the National Coordinator, BAT Movement, Ambassador Aliyu Saulawa emphasized that the movement is ready to ensure power shift to the Southwest and to be clinched by Tinubu.
Saulawa 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 that 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.”
It was gathered that all the attendees in the remarks pledge their commitment and readiness to support and see to the actualisation of the Tinubu Presidential project, come 2023.