Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Monday urged Yoruba people to rally around Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for him to actualise his dream of becoming the next president in 2023.
The governor who made the plea while speaking as the special guest of honour at the grand finale of 2022 edition of Ojude-Oba Festival, held in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State said there is more to benefit by Nigerians, most especially the Yoruba people if Tinubu becomes the next president of the country after President Muhammadu Buhari finish his tenure.
He said: “Let me use this opportunity to make this rallying call on all true sons and daughters of the Yoruba race and pronounce that in the unifying spirit of the Ojude Oba celebration, it is my firm hope and belief that the Yoruba race will unite as one behind the momentous candidature of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a proud son of the race and one of the most formidable and experienced politicians to have ever emerged from Africa.
Sanwo-Olu who happened to be the third governor of Lagos State to participate in the annual festival which was last held in 2019, due to COVD-19 pandemic, after Sir Michael Otedola and Tinubu said, “It is noteworthy that the Ojude Oba Festival has, while staying true to its Islamic roots, also expanded to become a unifying symbol and occasion for people of all faiths, tribes, and tongues; as well as a global celebration of Ijebu heritage and culture.
“We must never lose sight of this unifying element, at a time when the forces of division seem to be working so actively to undermine all that we cherish as a people. Celebrations like Ojude Oba remind us that evil will never triumph over good.’’
The governor added that as a proud son of Lagos, he was pleased to be in the colourful ceremony among his Ijebu brothers and sisters, saying the peoples of Lagos and Ogun share a long historical and cultural bond, shaped by the same forces and experiences, nourished by the same waterways and living up to the same Omoluabi standards and ideals.
‘’This was what spurred my brother governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun and I to him in 2021, establish the Lagos-Ogun Joint Development Commission, to collaborate on key areas of mutual benefit and development, and accelerate socio-economic growth for all our communities and our people.’’