Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has said that the track records of achievements and capacity of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to build a formidable team are enough grounds to elect him as the next president of Nigeria. Tinubu is the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to which the Governor belongs.
At a symposium to unveil the Yasin for Tinubu/Shettima presidency and AbdulRazaq/Kayode governorship 2023 in Ilorin on Thursday, AbdulRazaq said that Tinubu achieved so much to place Lagos on a sound footing and could employ same template to consolidate on the gains of the past years and break new great grounds to transform the country as president.
The group is an initiative of the Deputy President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Alhaji Usman Najeem Yasin.
“When you are to select candidates for a political party, or President for Nigeria, what people should look out for are track records of candidates, what they have been able to do in previous offices or the good will they will bring to that office. What have they done before? We see what Asiwaju had done in Lagos State. Over 20 years ago, we saw the quantum of transformation in Lagos State, with a leading IGR in Nigeria and a big economy in Africa today”, AbdulRazaq said.
He commended Yasin for his consistent love and support for the APC administration in the state, recalling that the union leader made an impact during the 2019 campaign.
“When I walked into this hall, I was just amazed with the size of the audience. Let me first of all thank Alhaji Yasin for putting this together. He is doing it out of his own pocket. And I am not surprised because he did the same in 2018 before the campaigns”, the Governor added.
AbdulRazaq rated Tinubu high in the size of capital projects that cut across Ikotun-Egbe, Badagry, Alimoso and other parts of Lagos State, and asked Nigerians to judge him with his achievements in the previous positions, particularly as a governor.
“If you look at Asiwaju’s track records you will agree with me that he is the kind of person that can transform Nigeria. We have been supporting and will continue to support him, and make sure we deliver him in Kwara State, in the North Central and in the whole of Nigeria.
“The message to all of you is to go out there and campaign for Asiwaju. You have no excuses. And he has said it himself: Emilokan (it’s my turn). Let us canvass our friends, members of our families, neighbours, and persuade those who may still not believe in our vision”, the Governor said.
Among the dignitaries and prominent APC supporters from Lagos and Kwara States in attendance were the state’s Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi; state APC Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi; state Secretary, Mustapha Isowo; state Chairman for SWAGA/NCAA, Hon Olabanji Oyeyemi; the convener, Yasin; and Chairman Lagos State Parks Management Committee, Alhaji Musliu Akinsanya (well known as MC Olu-omo).
Fagbemi said that Tinubu’s victory could be guaranteed from Kwara State electorate, citing how the state’s delegates overwhelmingly voted for him in the last APC presidential primaries in Abuja.
He said that the presidential candidate would also leverage on what AbdulRazaq has recorded as achievements in the last three and a half years, asking all party supporters to immediately engage in door to door campaigns and ensure success for all party candidates at the poll.
In his welcome address, Yasin said that the gathering became imperative to re-echo members’ support for realisation of a Tinubu/Shettima presidency, and the re-election of Governor AbdulRazaq.
“We deemed it needful to organise this event to appeal to our people to come out and support these winning teams: Tinubu/Shettima presidency and AbdulRazaq/Kayode governorship come 2023. They are the best candidates given what they have achieved as former and serving governors of their respective states,” he said.
Yasin implored the people of the state to come out enmasse to vote for the candidates in the coming elections.
In their remarks, Dr Ibrahim Atolagbe and Obalowu Shuaib said the credentials of Tinubu and AbdulRazaq stand them out to get another mandate to lead.
Atolagbe said a Tinubu/Shettima administration stands the chance to offer broad development and promote peace, unity and political stability, saying that both of them excelled in the previous offices they had served the people.
