All Progressives Congress (APC), Vice-presidential candidate Senator Kashim Shettima and Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdulllahi Umar Ganduje on Wednesday appealed to Arewa community in Lagos State to support and vote for the Presidential candidate of the APC , Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the governorship candidate , Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the forthcoming general election.
The duo who stormed the popular Alaba Rago Market, Ojo, Lagos State to mobilise the Arewa community in the state to support their party were led to the market by the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to meet members of the community who had waited patiently for their arrival.
The Kano State governor, Ganduje sought for the support of the community for APC not only to win but to win with a wider margin in the forthcoming general elections in 2023.
He said the party’s Presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not a stranger to the Northerners because of his contribution to their region and their peoples’ development.
Ganduje urged the community to reciprocate the kind gesture of Tinubu to the Northerners and their region with massive votes for their party at the polls
He challenged Lagosians to defeat Kano State in the total number of votes that will be cast for Tinubu and APC in the forthcoming polls.
The Kano governor dscribed Tinubu as a nationalist who had no bias against any ethnic or religion.
He said the inclusion of member of Arewa community in his government while as a governor of the state and continuous appointment of their kinsman as cabinet member by Tinubu’s successors in office is a testimony of the kind of person Tinubu is
In his address, the APC Vice-presidential candidate, Shettima commended the community for their warm reception for them and told the community that the forthcoming general elections is a payback time by Arewa to Tinubu.
The former Borno State governor recounted previous support of Tinubu to many northern politicians including Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, Nuhu Ribadu and Muhammad Buhari who had contested for president.
“For those of us from the North, this is pay -back time, in all electoral circle , Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Bola Tinubu supported Northern Nigeria candidate for the presidency of Nigeria, when Atiku Abubakar was intimidated and chased out of PDP , it is Asiwaju Tinubu that accommodated him and provided him with a platform to contest for presidency in 2007 .
‘’Four years later the same platform was made available to Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to contest for presidency of this country, in 2014/2015 presidential primary election and subsequent election without the bloc votes from southwest generated by Asiwaju Tinubu President Muhammadu Buhari could not have won APC presidential primary and also become the president, the feat was repeated in 2019 presidential election, now is payback time, we are people of honour , we should honour our pledge and commitment by voting for Tinubu as president, vote for Babajide Sanwo-Olu for governor and vote for all APC in other elective post”, Shettima urged Arewa community.
The state governor, Sanwo-Olu also promised the community a continuous dividend of democracy, by providing infrastructure and other necessities that will make them comfortable in Lagos State.
He urged the community to vote for APC candidates at the forthcoming general elections.
Speaking on behalf of the Arewa community in the state, Alhaji Saadu Yusuf, Lagos APC Arewa Chairman, promised to deliver their votes for Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu and all APC candidates in next year’s elections.
