· No end in sight with PDP crisis
The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Bola Tinubu, got a major boost on Sunday as the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, gave him their backing for next year’s general elections.
Tinubu met with the group at the residence of its national leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, in Akure, the Ondo State capital, which, however, saw the absence of the group’s leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, and the secretary-general, Chief Sola Ebiseni.
On why he visited Fasoranti, the APC presidential flagbearer said he was in the Afenifere’s leader’s house to present his presidential action plan.
Tinubu said, “Baba has prayed for me and I said once I got it, I will come back. I thank God Almighty that the dream of that time has come to reality. The battle was much. There are many of them that wanted Buhari to anoint another person but he (Buhari) said no. Some of the northern governors came together and resolved that it (power) has to go to South.
“One thing that is certain, no Yoruba men and women opposed this ticket. They support this ticket. I want to tell you that I will bring the trophy home. It is not just a Yoruba thing. It is a Nigeria project.
“The North proved to me that Nigeria can survive its unity. Some people want President Muhammadu Buhari to announce someone but the President said No. He insisted the process must go on democratically. The president said anyone that would mess up the APC process would see the other side of his eyes. He remained upright and saw to the process to the end.
“Northern APC Governors resolved that the Presidency must go to the South and especially South-West. Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Abdullahi Ganduje and others supported me to the end. The battle was tough and at a point I was in doubt. There were many rumours and I became confused of what to believe.”
Speaking further on his choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as his running mate, Tinubu explained that, “I chose a competent man in Kashim Shettima who never lost any election and protected Christians in time of trouble in his state.”
In his response, Pa Fasoranti, who briefly prayed for the APC candidate, simply declared, “Tinubu will win the election”.
The Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, while welcoming the visitor and his delegation on behalf of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu said Ondo people were Afenifere and would support Tinubu to win.
In his remark, Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji assured the Yoruba leaders that all the governors of South-West and Ekiti people are solidly behind Tinubu.
He said, “We are happy to receive our leader, Asiwaju Tinubu, today (Sunday). I want to assure him and our fathers that we will support him to the end.”
In another development, there seems to be no end in sight with the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Sunday took a swipe at the national chairman of the party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, over his statement against Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State.
Ayu and Ortom are both from Benue state.
Ayu had said he had the power to stop Ortom and others from contesting the 2023 elections.
But Wike, while briefing newsmen at his private residence in Port Harcourt on Sunday said Ayu lacks integrity, describing him as corrupt.
“I dare the National Chairman to stop any contestant if he has what it takes. It is in this country where you say a man is very corrupt and he is trying to talk,” Wike said.
