The Nigeria Diaspora for Asiwaju (NDA), says sustaining legacies of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration lies with delegates to the party’s presidential primaries.
Mr Ayobami Oyalowo, NDA National Spokesperson said this in an open letter to delegates to the party’s presidential primary election slated from May 30 to June 1, saying that Nigeria had began a march again to greatness.
This, he said, was especially as the country prepared to go to the polls in 2023.
He said the party’s members and delegates to its forthcoming presidential primaries had the responsibility to ensure the legacies of the Buhari administration were sustained and improvements made where necessary.
“The APC will embark on its presidential primary election in a matter of weeks to elect a candidate that is worthy and versatile enough to emerge victorious come 2023 and to consolidate on the party’s achievements.
“This is especially at the federal level, it is a decision that can make or mar the future of Nigeria and the future of our yet unborn generations.
“The future, therefore, lies on your shoulders as delegates to our party’s coming presidential primaries” he said.
Oyalowo explained that the decision of over 7,800 delegates being expected at the party’s presidential primary would ensure continuity of the APC, particularly at the federal level.
He said their decision could also truncate the current developmental strides of the Buhari-led administration.
He, therefore, charged the delegates to see themselves as nationalists who wanted the best for their fatherland.
‘We appeal to you as delegates in all good conscience to decide and define the future for Nigerians by voting to ensure that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu emerged as APC presidential candidate for the 2023 presidential election.
“It is either we decide a future of economic prosperity, financial re-engineering, human capital development and social inclusivity in an Asiwaju presidency or we define a future of constant blame ringing with tales of woe,” he said.
The NDA national spokesperson charged the delegates not to negate the opportunity to ensure the country’s future development.
He added that apart from his obvious and demonstrated competence and skills, Tinubu had consistently exhibited how successful a man could be, handling public and private offices.
He recalled that in the private sector, Tinubu was celebrated as a turnaround maverick at Mobil.
Oyalowo said as a two-term former governor of Lagos State, he turned the state from a bankrupt one in 1999 to one with the highest Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in 2007.
He described Tinubu as a wealth creator, a go-getter, a political strategist, a role model and a brain box.
He added that Tinubu’s residence in Bourdillon, Ikoyi, Lagos, was a Mecca of sorts as party faithful and supporters continuously visited to tap from the depth of his seemingly unfettered wisdom.
“Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has consistently shown that he is a man with the Midas touch and a big global vision who believed in human capital and resource development to achieve his set goals and objectives.
“His vision is not fettered by ethnic bias or mediocrity, always promoting those worthy of merit, irrespective of their ethnic or religious lineage.
“Asiwaju demonstrated this visionary knack when as the first governor in Nigeria, he brought into his cabinet people from various ethnic backgrounds to help manage a cosmopolitan city like Lagos with him.
“Your vote should go for a man who you can truly beat your chest for and say, I was part of this historical but all-important decision ensuring progressive change in which I can believe,” Oyalowo said.
He added that the APC deserved a candidate with no ethno-religious baggage and a calming influence to frayed nerves.
Oyalowo said Tinubu was a pacesetter, a moving nation in his own right, a living trailblasing legend and a strategist that propelled and promoted idealism to realism.
According to him, the former Lagos state governor understands people-oriented politics which had made his contemporaries to envy and respect him.
He added that while any other Nigerian was eminently qualified to run for the country’s presidency, it was only Tinubu that could win the 2023 presidential election for the APC if he emerged as its candidate at it presidential primary election.
“His antecedents in the days of the aborted 3rd republic, NADECO, Afenifere and more recently from 1999 to 2007, more than qualify him over and above anybody to run for the presidency,” Oyalowo said.
