By Teniola Blessing
As the 2023 presidential race gathers traction across the country, the Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Christianah Monisade Afuye, has insisted that the Southwest region remains impenetrable for the opposition candidates.
The Deputy Governor said with the exponential increase in the momentum of acceptability being mustered by the All Progressives Congress Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the six states of the geopolitical zone remained the exclusive preserve of the ruling party.
Mrs Afuye said this in Ondo State, during the Presidential campaign held at the Democracy Park in Akure, the state capital, to galvanise support for Tinubu.
The venue of the rally was filled to the brim, as various roads linking the ancient city’s pavilion were manned by combined forces of security agencies to avert breakdown of law and order due to the mammoth crowd that thronged the areana.
The Deputy Governor, who briefed newsmen after the programme, maintained that the mamoth crowd of party supporters and admirers that besieged the rally’s venue further amplified how popular and acceptable Tinubu is in the Southwest.
Afuye, in a statement by her Special Assistant Media, Victor Ogunje, stated that the Southwest remians a no-go-area for the respective People’s Democratic Party and Labour Party’s candidates, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, with the groundswell of support Tinubu is garnering in the zone and across Nigeria.
She pointedly advised the opposition nursing what he described as the “inordinate ambition” to penetrate the region to bury such thought, saying the people of the region are solidly backing Tinubu.
The Deputy Governor clarified that the Southwest voters won’t vote in 2023 based on primordial sentiments of ethnicity and political affiliation, but based on the enviable records of public service that Tinubu paraded, as a Governor and former member of the Senate.
The Ekiti State’s number two citizen, described Tinubu as indisputable political leader of the Southwest and the most competent among the candidates struggling to get the presidential seat to succeed Presidential Muhammadu Buhari at the expiration of his tenure.
Mrs Afuye emphasized the need for Nigerian voters to vote in line with the antecedents of the presidential candidates, rather than pandering to issues of ethnicity, religion and political affiliations that would dash the hope of taking Nigeria to higher pedestal of development.
She added: “What we have seen in Ondo State today and what had earlier been witnessed in Kano, Edo, Kaduna, Niger and other states Asiwaju had visited, confirmed vividly that APC still commands a lot of respect and acceptability among Nigerians and this shall translate into voting in the next presidential election.
“Let us forget about the noise and insults coming from the opposition. They did worse than that in Ekiti, but we went ahead and won the election. The people of Ekiti demonstrated that APC remained the most preferred party and that will be extended to our candidate in the presidential election.
“We quite appreciate the fact that Nigerians are facing challenges of insecurity, unemployment and economic crisis, but all these didn’t spring up with APC-led government in 2015. They had been existing and the current government of President Buhari inherited them and had worked hard to resolve some of these challenges.
“Before 2015, many were killed in the Northeast, Northwest and in some sections of the Northcentral through consistent bombings . But with the advent of APC government, this had ceased to happen. And I know that the incoming government shall work harder and better to improve the wellbeing of Nigerians in these critical areas.
“To us in the southwest, we are solidly behind Asiwaju, because we know that he can do it well. He has the experience, acumen, professional and public service competences as well as possessing the right human resources to steer the country to a saved shore.
“Nigerians can’t afford to allow those who were responsible for all the multifaceted crises we are facing today to stage a comeback in 2023, that is why we must vote for Asiwaju in this coming election”.
Addressing the gathering, the APC Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Tinubu, promised to work with party leaders, technocrats, and those who have the magic to turn around the economy of the country to better the lots of ordinary citizens.
Tinubu, who commended the APC National leaders and Kano state Governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje for their unflinching support, urged them not to relent in order to sure total victory in February twenty five general election.
“Governor Ganduje has proved himself to be a good friend, I really appreciate him, he is very loyal and supportive, even before, and after the party primary till now Governor Ganduje is a dependable leader. Thank you Governor Ganduje and Party leaders across the six geopolitical zones in the country” .
The APC Presidential Candidate, also called on Nigerians, especially electorate to support all APC Candidates at various levels, saying that the party was determined to make Nigeria.
Some of the APC Leaders at the Presidential political rally in Akure include Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief Monisade Afuye, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Governor Abdullahi Gaduje, Governor Dapo Abiodun Ogun, Lagos state Governor Babajide Sanwolu , Former Governors were Mr Oluwagboyega Oyetola, Senator Ibikunle Amosun
Many serving and Former Senators, including Dayo Adeyeye, Ajayi Boroffice, Smart Adeyemi as well as APC National Women, Southwest Women Leader, Ministers and Former Deputy Governors, while some popular musicians and Nolleywood Actors including Jesse King Buga , Said Balogun, Yinka Quadiri and Jide Kosoko.
