Kunle Adelabu
The Chairman, Nigerian State Majority Leaders Forum, Hon. Sanai Oyeniran Bolanle Agunbiade has said that he is pitching his tent with the Presidential candidature of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Agunbiade, who is also the Majority Leader, Lagos State House of Assembly and Chairman, Southwest Majority Leaders, explained that his support for Asiwaju Tinubu is based on his political antecedents and capacity to tackle political, economic and security challenges facing the country if he emerges the President in 2023.
He made his position known in an exclusive interview with THE IMPACT.
“Without mincing words and looking at the political antecedents, I pitch my tent with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I always talk about antecedents because a man who must lead must know the way. He must have the skill and the courage to lead the way”, Hon. Agunbiade said.
“In political antecedents, Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu) stands out above others. He was the governor of Lagos State that laid the foundation for a new Lagos that we are witnessing today. He drew the template for the development of the state and for the Lagos State Government.
“Due to his intellectual capacity and financial acumen, he was able to raise the internally generated revenue of Lagos State from N600million to what it is today. When President Obasanjo refused to release the allocation for the state because of the creation of more councils, we were able to survive that challenge without allocations because of the IGR and other financial strategies that were employed. Lagos survived the onslaught from Obasanjo”, the representative of the Ikorodu Constituency I recalled.
“Today, Lagos is working. We may not be there completely yet, but today, Lagos State has an economy that is strong, viable in Africa and in the world.
“Asiwaju took us through the turbulent period. It’s enough to say that this man has credentials of merit and excellence when he was Governor of Lagos State and Lagos, today, is still standing. Lagos does not owe workers’ salaries, it’s a template that has been built overtime. So, let us give Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu the opportunity to do for Nigeria what he did for Lagos”, he pleaded.
The ranking lawmaker, who is seeking re – election for the fifth term, explained that his support for the former Governor of Lagos is not based on any sentiment but his capacity, adding that he would have done the same thing if he’s not a Yoruba man but possesses same capacity and attributes.
Agunbaide said that the Presidential aspirant is the only figure of struggle against the military that is still feasible politically and represents the attainment of democratic rule in the country.
“It’s not about sentiment. If Jagaban is not a Yoruba man but possesses all his credentials, I will still vote for him, so as to benefit from his ability to deliver”, he said.
“He was also part of the struggle for democracy through NADECO which some of us also took major part in. A lot of the beneficiaries of our democracy are not part of the struggle. He is one of the gladiators of Nigerian democracy. He spent money, sacrificed his time, peace, safety and comfort and used NADECO to fight the military junta.
“Today, the military are back in the barracks, but where are the prophets that fought for our democracy?”, he asked.
“Asiwaju is the only man that remains among the symbols of the struggle for democracy, others are elsewhere doing other things, but Asiwaju is the most feasible now and still with the intellectual capacity to rule the country.
“He is the best man for the job around now. He has the intellectual capacity as it relates to governance, financial and fiscal management and democracy.
“For those reasons, I pitch my tent with Asiwaju and we will campaign vigorously, pray fervently to God to give him the opportunity to do for Nigeria what he has done for Lagos State. We thank God for His mercies on us and we thank God for Asiwaju who laid the foundation. It’s not about political lineage or tribal sentiment but the ability of this man to deliver”, Hon. Agunbiade further emphasized.
