The North-West zone of the All Progressives Congress, on Sunday, says the defection of notable politicians from the opposition parties and reconciliation of aggrieved APC stakeholders signal an imminent victory for its presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
The National Vice Chairman of the APC (North-West), Salihu Lukman, said this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday.
An excited Lukman praised the APC for unifying the seven states of the North-West namely, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and Kebbi through rallies.
The development is coming in the wake of Tinubu’s rally in Kebbi where he promised to boost agriculture and revive the moribund Argungu fishing festival in the region.
The APC vice chair noted that the party leaders and candidates in the biggest voting bloc had set aside their differences and challenges arising from internal wrangling to work for the success of Tinubu.
While emphasising the importance of the seven states, Lukman said it was on record that any presidential candidate that wins the North-West always emerges President.
He expressed confidence that the large defection of party leaders from opposition parties to the APC, including the Jigawa governorship candidate of Labour Party and serving commissioners in the PDP government of Sokoto State, would count in favour of the APC.
Lukman said, “The ability of our party leaders to reconcile and forge a united front in the North-West Zone is largely responsible for all the successful rallies in all the seven states. We also wish to acknowledge the successful campaign rallies and activities of all our candidates.
“We also believe in the large defection of political leaders from other opposition parties to the APC, including the Jigawa governorship candidate of Labour Party and serving commissioners in PDP government of Sokoto State.
“All these signposts victory for the APC in the North-West for our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in the presidential election of February 25 and all our candidates for National Assembly. It also signposts victory in the governorship and state Assembly elections in all the seven states of North-West. We are very confident that with Allah’s blessing all the seven states of North-West, including Sokoto State, will be APC states as from May 29.
“We must remind Nigerians that the political history of Nigeria has shown that every presidential candidate that wins the votes of North-West wins the Presidency.”
Meanwhile, the Gombe State Coordinator, Arewa for Asiwaju 2023, Ibrahim Mohammed, said on Sunday that Tinubu had the needed capacity to rescue Nigeria from economic meltdown and myriad challenges.
Mohammed said this shortly after receiving about 5,000 defectors that would assist in realising the APC mandate.
Mohammed said, “We are here today to make sure our candidate on the platform of the APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, wins the 2023 presidential election for the continuation of APC from down to up.
“We accepted defectors from 11 local government areas in Gombe State; we received 5,000. After receiving the defectors, we are going to tell the people of Gombe about the manifesto of our candidate. We all know his contributions to Nigeria as a whole, in terms of economic diversification, security, and human development.
“The essence of the sensitisation is to tell the people about the need to come out en masse to vote for Tinubu/Shettima and for Gombe State to vote for Inuwa and APC from the Senate, House of Representatives, House of Assembly, and other candidates as far as APC are concerned.”
Similarly, the Rivers State APC Presidential Campaign Council said it had mobilised about 50,000 people across the state to attend Tinubu’s rally billed for Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium.
The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, approved the venue last week, waiving the required N5m non-refundable fee.
The chairman of the PCC local organising committee in Rivers State, Chief Tony Okocha, said all was set for what he described as the “mother of all presidential rally,” adding that the committee had put everything in place, including security, to ensure a successful rally.
“We have come here to inspect the facilities at this venue, which has been approved by the Rivers State Government.
“So we’ve gathered resources, and we’ve also mobilised a minimum of 50,000 people from the state’s 23 local government areas to attend the rally at this specific location.”
Also, a socio-political organisation, Social Rehabilitation Group, has expressed confidence that the candidate of the APC would come out victorious in the presidential election.
According to the group, APC structure, rather than vote-buying, will ensure victory for Tinubu.
Speaking at a sensitisation programme and the launch of the group in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, on Saturday, the National Coordinator and Convener of the group, Dr Charles Oludare, said there was a need for Nigerians to support Tinubu, saying the candidate was fully ready to move the country forward.
He said, “I want to implore Nigerians not to make a mistake this time around; this election is not about any candidate, but how we can solve the problems that we have in Nigeria, and the only person that can solve the problems is Tinubu.”
