A stalwart of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, North Central Nigeria, Alhaji Saadu Salahu has expressed confidence in the ability of the APC presidential flag bearer, Bola Tinubu, to secure a landslide victory in the 2023 presidential polls, considering his vast experience in Nigeria’s politics and capacity to deliver good governance.
In an interview session with newsmen, the APC stalwart described the party’s presidential candidate in the forthcoming presidential election in Nigeria as a reputable democrat, credible and endearing politician whose track record speaks volumes.
He emphatically declared that Ahmed Tinubu was the man to beat in the forthcoming presidential contest, saying, “the presidential candidate of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is going to win a landslide victory as late MKO Abiola did in 1993.
That is what Nigerians will repeat in 2023 general elections for APC all over Nigeria,” Salaudeen added.
Salahu said Tinubu’s political precedence, achievements, and contributions to the advancement of Nigeria’s democracy and development of the nation placed him far ahead of other presidential candidates of other political parties in Nigeria.
He said his excellent experience in the political movement, meaningful governance, and socio-political and economic development shall allow him to win the 2023 presidential election with a landslide victory to emerge as the next president of Nigeria.
Salahu, a veteran journalist and Special Adviser to Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Strategy, vehemently declared that Tinubu’s achievements as Lagos State Governor between 1999 and 2007 made Lagos the city of excellence not only in Nigeria but in the entire African continent and eventually became the pride of black race all over the world.
The politician said Tinubu’s vast knowledge of economy and revenue generation drove sustainable growth and development and helped kick-start swift upward movement of Lagos’s monthly Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from 600 million naira to over 45 billion naira now; fast-tracking unprecedented development since 1999.
According to him, “through this effort, Tinubu made Lagos the only state in Nigeria that can survive without relying on Federal Allocation. We can all remember the period when Tinubu, as Lagos State Governor, managed the state effectively, even when the Federal Government refused to pay Lagos its own share of Federal Allocation.”
Salahu, who deliberately called Tinubu the architect of modern Lagos, said his selfless efforts in the enthronement of Nigeria’s latest democracy and progressive governance are most valuable and overwhelming.
“Tinubu is being celebrated worldwide as one of the founding fathers of new Nigeria because he was one of the few Nigerian patriots who ensured that the nation returned to democracy.
“He was among the patriots who went into exile because of leading a political movement that fought the military government and eventually returned democratic rule to Nigeria in 1999. So, he had definitely paid his due by facilitating the enthronement and survival of democracy, as well as good political leadership and governance,” Salahu narrated.
He noted that the APC presidential candidate had not only successfully built formidable bridges of unity and peaceful coexistence with the nation’s geopolitical zones but had sufficiently sowed seeds of political mentorship and support, which benefitted an appreciable number of politicians across states of Nigeria.
He said, therefore, that the time has come for Ahmed Tinubu to reap the fruit of his sacrifice and selfless service to the country’s socio-political development, adding that his followers and supporters are spread all over Nigeria.
He said his landslide victory at the last APC presidential primary, which gave him an overwhelming number of votes to have emerged as the presidential flag bearer of the largest party in Africa, is clear evidence of his popularity and acceptance by the people.
“Ahmed Tinubu has the support of the overwhelming majority of all the stakeholders across Northwest, Northeast, Northcentral, South-south, Southeast, and Southwest, respectively,” Salahu confirmed.
He urged Nigerian electorates to vote massively for the APC presidential candidate and all other flag bearers of the party at all levels for the meaningful progress of Nigeria.
S.O