Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday said the Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde who doubles as the People Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the forthcoming election, has demonstrated attributes of a good leader.
Tinubu added that Makinde is a hardworking individual and has performed admirably in the state.
The APC presidential candidate, who was speaking inside the Executive Council Chambers of the Governor’s Office, Agodi, Ibadan, during a courtesy visit, in the course of his presidential campaign tour of Oyo State.
Tinubu said Makinde is lucky to be part of the history of a great state like Oyo, adding that national politics should be devoid of ethnic sentiments.
He maintained that his aspiration was to become the next president of a united and secured Nigeria, while assuring that the APC rally in the state would be peaceful and orderly, devoid of any crisis.
Tinubu had said, “I am aspiring to become the president of a united, one country, Nigeria, and for that sake, political divide and separation must be clearly out of our way.
“That is why the first port of call should be the Chief Executive and the Chief security officer of the state, constitutionally. So, I am here to give you insights into why we are all in Oyo State today.
“I really want to thank you for your good reception because it is not easy to take an opposition entourage into the canopy of your own shade, but you did.
“Equally, you have demonstrated the characteristics of a good leader, a persevering individual, hardworking regardless of our political divide, and respectful in every aspect of your behaviour.
“So, today, I decided to pay you that respect and thank you for the good job you are doing in Oyo State.”
Makinde, who reiterated the position of the G-5 governors of the PDP, declared that the governors were concerned about equity, justice and unity of Nigeria.
He said the people of Oyo State will vote for equity, fairness, justice, and unity of Nigeria in the presidential election.
The governor explained that as governor of Oyo State, he does not play politics with governance, noting that the government always puts the people first as opposed to party affiliation.
He maintained that the message of the G-5 governors and integrity group is that, if they have to choose between the unity of this country and political aspirations, they will choose the unity of this country.
Makinde stated that if Nigeria was to progress, citizens must evolve a system that includes inclusivity, fairness, justice, and equity in how the country is run.
He said, “Let me use this opportunity to welcome you to Oyo State for your campaign. We have done everything to ensure that the exercise is peaceful and also enable you to pass your message to the people of the state.
“We don’t play politics with governance here. I have my brother here, the former governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola. We worked together irrespective of the party affiliations, to solve a particular problem, which has lingered between Oyo and Osun States. It is a demonstration of putting our people first as opposed to the party affiliations.
“Like you rightly pointed out, Sir, if you look at the wall (in the Executive Council Chambers), you will see from the colonial masters all the way to the immediate past governor Abiola Ajimobi.
Here, we do have a sense of history, and some of them ruled under different political parties.
“So, players will come and go but our country will remain.
“We, the G-5 and Integrity group are saying that, look, if we have to choose between the unity of this country and our political aspirations, we will choose the unity of this country. “So, I alluded to the sacrifices made by our APC colleagues, the governors from the Northern part of this country because we also monitored your emergence, and they sacrificed certain things for the unity of this country.
“If we have to move forward as a people, we have to evolve a system such that there is inclusivity, fairness, justice and equity in how we run this country. If the country does not survive, the political parties will fade away. “So, I will say that I wish you well. There are only a few days to go, about nine days.
“One thing I want you to take away from this visit today is the fact that we will vote for equity, for fairness, for justice and for unity of Nigeria in this presidential election.”
