A group, Progressives Opinion Leaders, under the auspices of the Progressive Project Osinbajo 2023, Tuesday, disclosed that the declaration of the former governor of Lagos state, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to run for the 2023 presidency did not concern its members.
Rather, the group led by Shettima Umar Abba Gana, called on the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo to run for the 2023 presidency, arguing that he was an able lieutenant, who according to him, would deliver if given the mandate.
The group’s position came barely less than 24 hours that Tinubu met with President Muhammadu Buhari to inform him of his intention to run for the office of the president next year.
Tinubu, who is also the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) while speaking with journalists after a closed-door meeting with Buhari in Abuja on Monday, said it has been his age-long ambition to lead the country one day.
“I have informed the President of my ambition but I have not informed Nigerians yet, I am still consulting. And I have no problem consulting. And I’ve not set a parameter of limitation to the extent of how many people I will consult. You will soon hear. All you want to hear is the categorical declaration.
But during a courtesy visit to the corporate headquarters of Blueprint in Abuja, Gana said “though the Vice President is yet to declare his
intention, Tinubu’s declaration did not bother them”.
He said: “…The issue (declaration) of one of the leaders of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has been in the news since yesterday that he declared. We in this group are not concerned simply because like I had said earlier, democracy requires multiple parties, multiple candidates. That is what democracy is.
“We have a candidate that we are selling, others should also come out. It is not only Tinubu, we are encouraging others who think they have something to offer to also come out, then we will go to the public and display everybody’s character and gradually the truth will prevail.
“Democracy requires active engagement of a lot of people and the exposure to test each of the candidates to the level to know this is the best. We have confidence in us that we have the best candidate with us and that is why we are committed to this project.
“We are not properly concerned because we know their antecedents, we know who the persons are, we know them. I am from Lagos; I spent about 25years to 30 years in Lagos. I know what some people are talking about. People are not yet declaring, but once they do, the public knows them and the truth will prevail’’.
Also speaking, the deputy leader of the group, Senator Joseph I. Akaagerger, said members of the team decided to mobilize for a better Nigeria because
Osinbajo was eminently qualified to rule the country.
In his address, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Blueprint newspapers, Mallam Salisu Umar, who disclosed that Osinbajo was a loyal Vice President, recalled his outstanding performance when he acted as his principal for almost 100days.
Umar, however, disclosed that the organization was ready to collaborate with the group to actualise its dream.
