2023: Monarch Congratulates Presidential Candidates, Tasks on Building New Nigeria

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, has congratulated Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and other presidential candidates contesting the 2023 presidential election; following the conclusion of the delegates’ conference of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

The monarch, who was a Senator of the Federal Republic between 1999 and 2003, charged the presidential hopefuls to go into serious research and consultations on how to give birth to a new Nigeria that would afford everybody a sense of belonging, which he said should start manifesting in their electioneering campaigns.

Oba Balogun noted that the time of their contestations for the number one position of the country is very crucial and strategic in view of the current situation of the country, saying the job at hand is not for lily-livered or unprepared minds but is very enormous and highly demanding in terms of intellect, political sagacity and ability to genuinely coordinate for result-oriented purposes.

He said: “To say that our country is at a crossroads is an understatement, we need a true, committed, passionate and compassionate leader, who would be ready to tackle headlong the myriad of challenges confronting us as a nation and capable of not making vain the labour of our past heroes.

“You will all agree with me that the people’s hope and expectations for the dawn of a new era come 2023 are very high and whoever God will grant the grace to lead the country by then must be very ready, prepared and imbued with goal- getting ability to meet the people’s aspiration. All these must start to reflect in your various electioneering campaigns which I urge should be issues-based,” the Olubadan stated.

Expressing confidence in the ability of some of the presidential candidates who are said to be political giants and veterans in the management of human and material resources, the monarch said the nation is blessed with formidable personalities across the various political party lines that possess the wherewithal to navigate the country out of the present quagmire.

The Olubadan also charged the presidential candidates to avoid personalities’ attack during their electioneering campaigns as well as other utterances that could further put a wedge between them and their supporters, saying they should rather concentrate on how they would sincerely and genuinely tackle the problems confronting the country.

In 2023, Tinubu (APC) would join Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Peter Obi (LP), Rabiu Kwankanso (NNPP) and others, to fight for the presidency in the presidential election to be conducted in the first quarter of the year.

Olusola Akintonde