The forum of Kogi former political office holders says Peter Obi, presidential candidate of Labour Party is not a threat to the victory of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the 2023 poll.
Alhaji Abdulmumin Sadik, the chairman of the forum said this when he spoke with newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.
Sadik said that the achievement of Tinubu when he was governor of Lagos State was yet to be beaten.
“It is there for all to see. Lagos State is like combining the entire South East as one state, the economy of the entire South East is like that of Lagos State.
“If Tinubu can transform Lagos State in eight years, he can transform Nigeria, all it takes is the political will which he has, following his antecedence as governor.
You can’t compare what Obi did in Anambra as governor to what Tinubu did in Lagos State as governor which had been very consistent.
“Obi for me, may have his qualities, but I think for now, he is in the market at the wrong time, because the APC candidate is more credible and has a better credentials,” he said.
He said that Tinubu as APC presidential candidate, has been tested and proven, following his antecedence as governor of Lagos State for two-terms.
He, however, expressed optimism that with the manner the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government had been addressing corruption in the country, the degree of menace would be curb soon.
“Am sure that Tinubu will address it head-on if he takes charge of the country’s leadership come 2023 with the support of all Nigerians,” he said.
He said that the forum plans to creat a directorate for youth mobilisation to mentor them on their roles as future leaders of the country.
He said that youths constituted over 60 per cent of Nigerian voters and would be given a voice and be allowed to take their place to contribute to the country’s development.
He said the forum which membership cut across the 21 Local Government Area (LGAs) of Kogi, had decided to work together to ensure that opposition parties don’t have a place in 2023.
He said alhough Gov. Yahaya Bello contested the APC presidential ticket with Tinubu at the primary election, the group was 100 per cent behind Tinubu presidency in 2023.
“We intend to get up to 200 votes from each polling units, up to the wards and the 21 LGAs of the state.
“If you aggregate all this together, it means we won’t have less than 1million votes for Tinubu in 2023.
“Kogi is ready for Tinubu/ Shettima ticket and we have decided to come together on one platform to work together for the enthronement of Tinubu presidency in 2023.
“Members of the forum include all former and serving government appointees in Kogi from wards to polling units to LGAs,starting from the time of Prince Abubakar Audu, the state’s first executive governor to date who are grassroots mobilisers.
“We intend to get in touch with our colleagues in other states to form same structure to galvanise votes for Tinubu in their respective states to ensure a resounding victory for him in 2023,” he said.
He faulted criticism against the party’s Muslim-Muslim ticket, saying it was unnecessary.
He said Nigeria was literally in a state of coma and under intensive care unit, adding that all that was needed was to salvage it and bring it out of the present challenging situations, irrespective of tribe or religion.
“What is important is to get our people out of poverty and insecurity and to ensure that our people got what they wanted.
“What we should be looking at at the moment, is who can bring the country out of its challenges.
“Poverty and insecurity do not know if you are a Christian or a Muslim,Tinubu maybe a Muslim, but he has been married to a Christian for over 40 years and religion had not separated them.
“Our principal has the credentials to show following his antecedence in Lagos and how he transformed the state and this should be the determinant, not religion,” Sadik said. (NAN)
