The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has on Monday addressed a coalition of Northern groups in Kaduna to woo their votes for his candidacy.
Chairman of the 19 Northern Governors Forum (NGF), Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State has also at the forum, urged Nigerians to support a shift of power to the south for fairness to prevail.
They both made the call during an interactive forum under the auspices of Arewa Joint Committee which took place on Monday, October 17, 2022 at the Area House Kaduna, attracting key stakeholders and leaders from the north.
The meeting is a part of a wider interaction with selected presidential candidates to discuss their plans for the region ahead of the 2023 general elections organized by a coalition of six groups from the region which includes the Area Consultative Forum (ACF), Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Area House, Jam’iyyar Matan Arewa, and Arewa Research and Development Project.
In his remarks at the meeting, Tinubu commended the event planners for enhancing a forum where dialogue and exchange of ideas would convince citizens to vote for him and the APC for a better tomorrow.
He recalled the great virtues of Nigerian nationalists like Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, Chief Obafemi Awololo and Sir Tafawa Balewa who built values of brotherhood and true nationhood, and advised politicians against campaign of ethnicity and religion.
“I have no control that I’m a Youruba but, I’m a city boy from Lagos,” he told panelists and the audience.
He said his emergence to contest as a candidate of the APC was based on the consensus of the Northern Governors who said a southerner should emerge in 2023. Adding that he was elected because they felt he was capable of running the country.
Tinubu said he will place the security and protection of lives and properties of Nigerians as a priority and consolidate on the achievements of the Buhari led administration for a better Nigeria.
He described himself as a promise keeper based on his past successful records as Governor of Lagos State, stating that when he assumed governor in 1999, he met Lagos as a state with a high level of insecurity and criminality but was able to address it.
According to him, insecurity will be addressed with technology and other innovations that will defeat banditr. But on the issue of reconstruction and state police, he said it is a constitutional matter that requires consideration, consultation with stakeholders like the judiciary, legislature, traditional rulers and stakeholders, adding that he believes in the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria.
The APC presidential hopeful described Nigeria as a gold mine promising that through Research, innovations, strategic thinking and agreements, his economic plan which includes infrastructural development, and modern economic drivers like sports, entertainment, will be harnessed for the development of the country, to attract investments from diverse sectors.
He stated that using his experience of building human capital as he did in the past, to make Lagos a leading economy, he would empower youths, and prioritize strengthening of the power sector, revamping, industrialisation in line with global best practices to create a better country.
While lamenting that the county is still not utilising its full potentials as a leading economy in Africa, Tinubu disclosed that he would therefore make the country a hub of Agri-business and livestock production through collaboration with the Federal and State government by making them to invest in processing businesses that will harness the full value of products to encourage farmers.
On the Millions of out of school children in the country, especially in the north, he said it is unacceptable and his administration will turn around the statistics by building on the present Buhari led APC administration’s efforts, and building infrastructure, structures, and other programmes to encourage school feeding, enrollment and Almajiri education.
“I will not throw away everything President Buhari has done or dump it to the garbage bin, I will consolidate on it. He is my party leader, there are so many things he has done and achieved, we will build on those foundations that will stand and are sustainable”, he assured.
NGF Chairman, Governor Lalong in his speech on behalf of the 19 Northern governors expressed happiness on the laudable manifesto of the APC Presidential candidate which he said will chart a way forward for the north.
He commended the vision of visionary leaders from the north that laid a solid political foundation and structure for the north and country as a whole.
Lalong who is also the Director General of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Council, said he is optimstic that there is hope for the next generation because of the kind of APC leadership they are expecting from Tinubu in 2023.
