There was a gale of endorsements yesterday across the six geo-political zones for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidates, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shetiima.
Politicians, women groups, farmers, artisans, peasants and youths vowed to mobilise for the victory of the standard bearer on the platform of the ruling party in next year’s poll.
In Zamfara State, the coordinator of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Kabiru Marafa, assured Tinubu of bloc vote.
He said Tinubu should concentrate on other states, instead of coming to Zamfara, which has already assured him of total support.
A group, Women Arise for Tinubu, led by Mrs Oby Onu, reiterated its determination to mobilise support for the standard bearer so that he can reenact his feats as governor of Lagos State, if elected.
Former federal legislator Eseme Eyiboh, who spoke with reporters in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, said Tinubu is most prepared to govern the country.
Also, farmers’ groups in the North, notably All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Maize Association of Nigeria, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria and Federation of Agricultural Commodity Association of Nigeria endorsed Tinubu and Shettima, describing the ticket as the best for the country.
Tinubu promised to make agriculture the bedrock of the country’s economy, adding that he would embark on reforms in the farming, fishing and livestock sub-sectors to make the industry competitive.
The APC standard bearer addressed stakeholders in the agro-allied sector at a town hall meeting in Minna, Niger State.
In his speech titled: “Path the Agricultural Self-Sufficiency”, he emphasised the important role agriculture played in the economy before the discovery of oil.
Tinubu maintained that all the states in the country can offer many things to ensure that the nation fully produces what it eats.
He said: “Northern Nigeria has great agricultural potential due to its abundant arable land. It must continue to be at the forefront of the sector.
“Every state and the FCT have some degree of competitive advantage in agriculture, whether horticulture or crop production, fisheries, poultry or animal husbandry. Properly developed, these assets will not only satisfy our domestic needs, but make Nigeria a global force within a short time.
“If Nigeria fully harnesses its agricultural potentials, our exports will rise to the level such that we shall feed much of sub-Saharan Africa, allowing us to better balance our economy while fostering social tranquillity, stronger consumer bases and political goodwill between us and other nations in the region and on the continent.”
Expressing optimism about Tinubu’s ability to turn around the economy, APC National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu, also a farmer, said Tinubu would help the cause of farmers because he understands their plight.
Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong said the APC candidate is the son of a market woman who traversed both rural and urban communities as she plied her trade, adding that as President, Tinubu will connect the city and rural economy to create prosperity for the farmers.
At the meeting were Shettima, Governor Abdullahi Sani-Bello, Jigawa State Governor Abubakar Badaru, Niger State APC governorship candidate, Umar Bago, and other party chieftains.
Tinubu said the Bank of Agriculture will be rebuilt and restructured to attend to farmers on a priority basis while pledging to mitigate the effect of climate change.
He said: “We will stop destroying our export potential to create value. We will work to give you the exportable items that will help you produce in a manner that other people will want to buy your produce and not reject your produce. We promise you that nothing you produce will be destroyed again. We would mitigate the effect of climate change and floods. I sympathize with all of you affected by flood throughout the country and I assure you that it would be mitigated.”
Tinubu also announced the setting up of the Agricultural and Commodities Directorate in the APC Presidential Campaign Council which would be chaired by Alhaji Atiku Bagudu. He said the directorate would focus on orientating rural farmers, agro-processors, food/feed industries on the agricultural transformation programme of the Asiwaju/Shetimma Presidency.
The National President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Architect Kabir Ibrahim, said: “We, as farmers, endorse the candidacy of Tinubu. The average farmer in Nigeria should do agriculture as a business. We should go to our farms without fear, but we have many factors preventing us from doing what we know how to do best. President Buhari has done his best, but we ask this incoming government to do more. We ask that you appoint people who know how to do agriculture in your cabinet. To this end, all the farmers in the country endorse your candidature and we know you will do what you say you will do.”
The President of Myetti Allah, Abdullahi Bodejo, said herders wanted solutions to insecurity, good education, livestock development, and an end to ethnic profiling and media bias.
He said: “The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria is ready to support every move that will restore peace and tranquillity in Nigeria. millions of our members are ever ready to participate in the electioneering process ahead of the 2023 general elections.”
Governor Bello applauded the plans of Tinubu on agriculture.
He said: “This is a promising move that the leadership of Tinubu/Shetimma government is fully prepared to lead the nation to the promised land thereby deserving the support of all Nigerians.”
Marafa urged the former Lagos State governor to concentrate on other states, saying there is no opposition in Zamfara State.
‘Zamfara will vote APC’
Marafa, while speaking during the launch of the Tinubu/Shettima campaign in Zamfara, assured that the people will vote for Tinubu during the February 25, 2023.
He urged Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle, who is the coordinator of the Presidential Campaign Council in the North West geopolitical zone, to concentrate on the six other states in the region.
In a statement by his Media Office, Senator Marafa said: “There is no opposition in Zamfara State. Can you fight a war without a commander? No. The opposition in Zamfara now has no commander. Therefore, the war in Zamfara has been won.”
While urging Governor Matawalle to allow the PDP candidate, Dauda Lawal, who he described as a friend and brother, to return to APC, he said the PDP in the state has since realised that there is no vacancy in Zamfara State Government House.
He added: “As Muslims, our religion teaches us that we should love our brothers how we love ourselves. This is why I’m calling on the state governor to give our brother a chance to return home.
“We will give him two to three weeks to come and seek forgiveness so that we can forgive him. Let him return home so that we can work together,” Marafa said in the statement.
On the Zamfara governorship election, Marafa said there’s no vacancy in the Government House.
He added: “A brother of mine told me that a leadership position is like a seat in a barbing saloon. When a customer finishes his haircut, another will sit on the same seat to also have his haircut.
“Presently, someone is sitting on the Zamfara State governorship seat. Bello Matawalle is the one Allah SWT has given it to. With what we saw today, anybody thinking he wants to occupy the seat should have a second thought. Wait until he (Matawalle) finishes his second term in office. You can then vie for it. But presently, you (Dauda Lawal) have not learned enough, you need to come back for more training,” he said.
He challenged the candidate of the PDP for Zamfara Central Senatorial District to a debate, saying, “let every one of us say what he has done for our people.”
Women won’t disappoint APC
The national coordinator of Women Arise for Tinubu, Mrs Oby Onu, said the group will mobilise women across the 36 states to vote for Tinubu whom, she said, has enhanced their wellbeing through his life-enhancing activities.
Onu said: “Tinubu’s candidacy represents hope for women as his antecedents show that women occupy a bridled place in his activities.
“The APC presidential candidate’s footprints as a former Lagos Governor underscore him as a performer and compassionate leader.
“The welfarist programmes of his administration as a governor were top-notch and brought many homes out from poverty.”
Onu said it was evident that with Tinubu’s past antecedents and as a nation builder, Nigeria will bounce back when he becomes its president.
“His manifesto speaks for his passion for women and certainly he will answer to our concerns.
“We are re-affirming our confidence in the Tinubu/Shetima ticket which is capable of solving the problem of insecurity among others bedeviling the country.
“We have the assurances of women across the northern and southern parts of the country of their total support for Tinubu.”
Eyibo: Tinubu prepared for leadership
Speaking in his Eket country home, Eyiboh said Tinubu’s antecedents and legacies have shown that he started preparing to govern Nigeria many years ago.
He said the country need a builder, unifier and talent hunter who has built and empowered people politically and economically over the years.
The former spokesperson of the House of Representatives promised to deliver Eket Federal Constituency comprising Eket, Onna, Esit Eket and Ibeno local government areas to Tinubu and the APC.
He said: “You are aware I have been Tinubu’s coordinator AKISAT for four years now. I have been in the forefront campaigning for his presidency. So the consciousness of Tinubu as a critical healer, critical unifier, builder talent discoverer has been engraved in the consciousness of Akwa Ibom people.
“We have made this known to people in various multi media platforms, through conversations, through contacts and engagements. So Tinubu is already in the minds of every Nigerian. If you listen to him and watch his programme you will appreciate his strategies and programmes.
“Tinubu is one man who was ready for the job while others are going through conflict resolution. I don’t want to talk like an individual. I am going to deliver my unit, my ward and my federal constituency for Tinubu. I will deploy the power of persuasion.
“Tinubu has all the qualities of a good president, he is saleable. He is uncompromising in his resolve to have a better Nigeria so I can assure you that he is the candidate to beat”.
