2023: Tinubu gets backing of top northern politician

Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu

From Foluso Adelaja

A top politician of Northern Nigeria extract and a power broker in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Babachir Lawal has declared his unalloyed support for the emergence of the party's national leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu as the Presidential Candidate of the party in the 2023 General Elections.

Lawal, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation(SGF), insisted that the 2023 President should come from the South, and not from the North again. 

He categorically maintained that, nobody in the All Progressives Congress, APC, has the right to prevent the National Leader, Bola Tinubu, from contesting the 2023 Presidency.

In an interview with a leading national tabloid in the country, the Sunday PUNCH, the notable politician also wondered why some notable Northerners were calling for the Presidency to be retained in their region.

He accused some APC Governors of fuelling the crisis in the party, so that they could take control for their own selfish political purposes. He said that the overall goal of the Politicians, is to undo the current structure under President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said that it is laughable, if the objective of the Politicians who he alleged to have masterminded the removal of the former National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, is to oppose the alleged Tinubu Presidential aspiration.

“Except we want to bring the wrath of God on our heads, because of his role in building the party, equity and a sense of justice demand that he be given a chance in a free and fair system, and let his luck prevail.

“Nobody with a clear conscience in the APC, will deny Tinubu the opportunity to contest the Presidency. Nobody within the party has the moral right to even put a stumbling block on his path. The party must create an environment that is free and fair for anybody who wants to contest, including Bola Tinubu. 

"Let the Delegates who must have emerged through a similarly free and fair process, decide who they want to vote for", Lawal asserted.

“A just and equitable way of doing things, is to agree, as gentlemen, that since the North has had its President for the second tenure, the opportunity should be given to the South to produce the next President".

“By the way, what did we get from several years of governance with the Presidency being from the North? Since the demise of General Sani Abacha, the country has been into crisis of insecurity and poor economy", said the political bigwig.

“Along the line, we have also had Vice Presidents who were Northerners. We have had Presidents who were Northerners, but for whatever reason, the system is not improving. Presidency from the North is like an albatross around our neck", he said.