Ahead of the 2023 Presidential Election, the South-West Movement for Osinbajo, (SOWEMOVE,) has urged governors and traditional rulers in the region to prevail on the former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to step down for Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo in the battle for the ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC).
Consequently, the group has begun lobbying governors, traditional rulers, business and political elites in Yorubaland to carefully weigh various options and seriously consider backing Prof. Osinbajo.
Presenting a report and copies of several correspondences with Obas and other eminent personalities in the South-West to the Director of Operations of ‘The Progressive Project’, (TPP), Aliyu Usman Aliyu, in Abuja during the weekend, the group said youths of the region will become arrowheads of efforts towards making Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, successor to President Muhammadu Buhari.
In his brief response, Aliyu Usman Aliyu explained that the TPP is going to be an umbrella organisation for all Nigerian groups at home and abroad, who are canvassing for the success of APC and that of Professor Yemi Osinbajo in the forthcoming 2023 elections.
“Our progressive cause is borne out of conviction and devoid of negative sentiments that becloud politics in most parts of the Third World; we objectively see Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo as the best towards sustaining the legacies of President Muhammadu Buhari and moving Nigeria forward”, Aliyu stated.
In the various correspondences sent to Yoruba elites, titled: “2023: Appeal to South-West Elders/Leaders” and signed by both its Coordinator, Abioye Akerele and Secretary, Olugbenga Byron, the group stated that Nigeria’s Presidency may elude the South-West in 2023 if Prof. Osinbajo is not supported for the presidency.
It added that the dynamics of politics of the 2023 general elections are gradually manifesting in different forms, the group lamented that the South-West still appears aloof.
The group described Prof. Osinbajo as being ‘most excellent’, while the APC leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is described as an outstanding leader who can further advance national interests by endorsing the vice-president.
The group further said, “He (Tinubu) is one leader out of many who has been actively involved in the struggle towards making Nigeria work; he is unique in all respects, irrespective of whatever one may think of his political method.
“In the light of the above, we, members of the South-West Movement for Osinbajo believe that our revered Obas across Yorubaland, the APC governors in the South-West geo-political zone, all Yoruba political elites, business moguls and leaders of thought should now rise to prevail on Asiwaju to invest his political capital in the person of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, in the overall interest of the Yoruba people.
“Prof. Osinbajo has the requisite character, capacity, capability and the intellect to run Nigeria to the satisfaction of the generality of the Nigerian populace.
“As the number two to President Mohammad Buhari, he has demonstrated obvious capacity and capability to re-invent the wheel of progress for national growth and development.
“He has won the confidence of Nigerians across various divides by the way and manner he has conducted himself as the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
