2023: Alaafin endorses Tinubu for president

T he ambition of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu  got a boost on Monday as the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III endorsed the candidacy of the former Lagos state governor  for the office of the President of Nigeria in 2023.

The revered monarch, Oba Adeyemi announced his endorsement of Tinubu while receiving in Courtesy visit delegation of South West Agenda (SWAGA ’23), a group of rainbow coalition of like minded politicians of South West extraction, in his palace.

The group, led by a former Minister, Prince Dayo Adeyeye also had, former Senator Adesoji Akanbi, Otunba Abayomi Ogunnusi; Hon. Bosun Oladele, Alhaja Kafilat Ogbara, Tinubu’s son in-law, Oyetunde Ojo; Toba Oke, son to former Lagos State Governor, Deji Jankande; former Secretary to the State Government in Ondo State, Abegunde Abena; Mutiu Okunola, and Makinde Rotimi among others; as its members.

SWAGA’s agenda is to mobilize all well meaning South-Westerners to encourage, market and support the candidature of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the office of the President of Nigeria in 2023.

Oba Adeyemi, who declared that he believed in the mission of the group, also added that its mission is well thought of, noting that covenant is very important, which must be fulfilled either written or not.

He warned, “In Yoruba land, covenant is very important. We believe that with law of retributive justice, if you break covenant the repercussion is great. You may think it (race for 2023) is too early but it is never too early to start”.

The custodian of culture, who decried the spate of insecurity in the country further submitted , “you said you have defeated Bokoharam technically. You also made various claims , but the point is that nothing has happened, people are being killed. The latest of such was last  week, the Boko Haram knelt people down and slaughtered them like goats. We cannot continue like that.

“If you want to have a country that is forward moving, there must be federal system of government. There is no sincerity in Nigeria politics, lack of fate in the political arrangement of Nigeria is one of the major set back facing the country.

“Things have not changed in this country; there is insincerity. We need to have a president who can listen.

“We have not been fortunate to have the kind of president that we deserve. We are the first to build skyscraper, cocoa industry, we had always been ahead. Money was used for the purpose for which it was meant for, so we were prepared and developing. If education during the time of Chief Obafemi Awolwo was on concurrent list, there would not have been free primary education in the South-West.

“I said it at different fora that the illiterates cannot govern the literates, it cannot work. If the Queen of England was invited to the Parliament, she must appear.

“Your mission is well thought of, be strong, hopeful and your aspiration shall be met

“I believe in your mission. The Yoruba believe that everything that you want to do requires prayers. I pray that you will succeed in this mission”, Oba Adeyemi concluded.

Earlier in his remarks, the former Minister of Works , Prince Adeyeye explained that SWAGA’s goal is driven by desire for a common front to push the Yoruba Agenda for leadership of Nigeria.

He maintained that there is an agreement in both APC and PDP that the Presidency should be a rotational between the North and the South. The APC chieftain,also added that after the eight years of President Buhari, it is the turn of South, comprising of the South-west, South-south and South-east geo-political zones

In his words, “Today, we are at home. Our mission is political. Politics has started and everyone is scrambling. We, the Yoruba people, see it as our turn because it is the agreement that presidency would be rotational. We have both written and unwritten contracts. After President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years, it is the turn of the Yoruba.

“In the South, we have South-East, South-South and South-West. We have a joker in the South-West and the joker is Asiwaju Bola Tinibu, who was part of the struggle for democracy. I was the Media Adviser the late MKO Abiola. There are fundamentals of governance and we want someone who is versed in politics to go into the race. We see that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has the clout and he is qualified. As experienced politicians, we see that Tinubu is qualified.

“After MKO Abiola, who defeated his opponent in his ward, Senator Tinubu is the only person who can pull the stunts. We are here on our own accord We were not sent by Asiwaju but we believe in him”, Prince Adeyeye added.