Politics
By Kennedy Nnamani
AS the 2023 presidential election is barely 48 hours away, the gale of endorsements for Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, continues to compound.
Few hours after the signing of the Peace Accord by the 18 presidential aspirants for the February 25 presidential election, a report from Punch disclosed that five opposition political parties in Oyo State have endorsed the presidential ticket of Bola Tinubu of APC, as their preferred candidate.
According to the report, the parties are Action Alliance, AC; African Action Congress, AAC, whose presidential flag bearer was also present in Abuja at the second signing of the Peace Accord; Action Peoples Party, APP and Booth Party.
In another report from the Voice of Nigeria today, Dorothy Nuhu Aken’Ova, Social Democratic Party’s former presidential aspirant has thrown her might to the candidacy of Bola Tinubu.
According to her, when Tinubu is elected as the President of Nigeria, Nigeria will be a place where young people will have the enabling environment for the full realization of their dreams.
Also Yoruba Obas, led by the Ooni of Ife, announced their endorsement of Tinubu, according to Daily Trust report today.
In the report, the Conference of Yoruba Obas unanimously holds that the former Lagos State governor is eminently qualified to lead Nigeria.
According to the group, Bola Tinubu’s excellent track record and great achievements, his solid democratic credentials and unwavering commitment to the entrenchment of democracy in Nigeria put him above other candidates as the only personality that would bring unity, fairness and justice to the Nigerian system.
Realnews reports that before these recent endorsements, other Nigerians, socio-cultural and socio-political groups have also pitched their tent in support for the Tinubu/Shettima presidency.
Some of the groups, which have aligned with the Tinubu/Shettima ticket include the Yoruba Leaders of Thought, which noted that the endorsement is not hinged on ethnicity, but on his antecedents when he governed Lagos from 1999 to 2007.
In addition, Christian Leaders under the auspices of Clerics Congress of Nigeria, led by Arc Bishop Ali John Ali and Bishop Timothy Cheren tilted towards the Tinubu/Shettima ticket.
According to the group, the move was against the backdrop of competence, capacity and required vision for progressive leadership and nation building.
Furthermore, the Amalgamation of Fulani Groups, comprising Fulani Ardos, Islamic scholars and preachers under the aegis of Hoorejo Tabital Pulaaku and Fulbe Ulama, community leaders and scholars from the 36 states of the federation, and the FCT adopted the APC candidate to ensure his victory on Saturday.
According to a media report, Bola Ahmed Tinubu also found favour from the Muslim Ummah of Southwest Nigeria, MUSWEN, based on competence as well as his track record.
Ahmed Bola Tinubu also got the endorsement of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, a Fulani socio-cultural association.
Adding to the numbers are family heads also known as Mogajis, Baales and other notable groups, including Agbekoya in Ibadan, Premium Times reported.
According to them, Tinubu is “the most competent” among the rest of the candidates.
While some endorsements have received accolades, some have been marred with controversies ranging from the authenticity of the groups in question.
One may not be totally surprised seeing Tinubu gather such encomium from various political stakeholders for the fact that he is the flagbearer of the ruling political party, although he has had a lot of criticisms for his choice of Muslim/Muslim ticket.
There were streams of tongue wagging, criticisms and condemnations, following what were reported as “fake Christian bishops” who endorsed the Muslim/Muslim ticket of Tinubu/Shettima ticket.
Also, some groups from some political parties and socio-political groups, which have endorsed the candidature of Tinubu have raised questions. For the governorship candidates of the Labour Party in the Northwest, as The Guardian and the endorsement by Pa Rueben Fasoranti, an elder statesman of the Afenifere, the highest Yoruba socio-political group, which came after the leader of the group had endorsed the candidacy of Peter Obi of the Labour Party based on equity, fairness and justice.
Based on history, this trend is not a new situation; it has been seen in the past that as elections, like this draw nearer, several negotiations and counter negotiations go on among stakeholders to boost the chances of candidates to cling to the position for the top job of the country.
However, what remains constant is that irrespective of the number of endorsements and adoptions that candidates receive, it is only the electorates will decide who governs the nation for the rest of that circle.
KN
Tags: Bola Ahmed Tinubu Kennedy Nnamani Peace Accord
