This message was delivered at the All Progressives Congress (APC) South West Zone Assembly meeting held at Eko Hotels and Suites in Lagos.
Chief Olusegun Osoba, former governor of Ogun State, has called on Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu, asserting that his election to the presidency is a collective achievement rooted in Yoruba leadership.
This message was delivered at the All Progressives Congress (APC) South West Zone Assembly meeting held at Eko Hotels and Suites in Lagos.
In a viral post on the X platform, influential political figures from the region acknowledged their essential contributions to Tinubu’s political ascent.
Osoba highlighted a crucial decision made by South West leaders in 2007, which facilitated Tinubu's transition from state politics to a national role. “Bola didn’t make himself the President of Nigeria; we did,” Osoba stated.
He elaborated, “Seventeen years ago, in 2007, after his tenure as the governor of Lagos State, we gathered at a luncheon organized by Alhaji Hamsa, our leader in the South West at that time.
“It was at that meeting we collectively decided that Bola should move from Lagos politics to the national stage, to represent the interests of the Yoruba people at the topmost level of Nigerian politics.”
The assembly also reflected on the historical challenges faced by the Yoruba people in their quest for national leadership.
Osoba remarked, “Many of us here today worked tirelessly to support the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s quest for the presidency, but he wasn’t allowed to get there.”
He further noted, “Similarly, we rallied behind the late MKO Abiola’s presidential ambition, but we lost him, and with him, the opportunity. They killed many of us because of our mission to make this country better. But we thank God that some of us are still alive to witness Bola Tinubu’s success.”
Encouraging the assembly and the wider Yoruba community, Osoba urged support for Tinubu despite any perceived shortcomings.
“Now that Bola Tinubu is there, I want to plead with all of you to accept his shortcomings. He will do better. After his first four-year term, he will serve another four years as a Yoruba son,” he stated.
As Nigeria's president since 2023, Bola Tinubu has emerged as a key figure in Nigerian politics.
Nevertheless, Osoba reiterated, “The South West Assembly’s message is clear – the Yoruba leadership stands united behind Tinubu’s presidency and remains confident in his ability to deliver on his promises during his tenure.”
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