Jonathan’s men endorse Tinubu, say APC candidate has capacity for the job

Kinsmen of former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, have endorsed the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead next general elections.

They made the declaration at a press briefing at the weekend in Abuja.

Checks revealed that the Jonathan supporters operating under the platform, Citizens Network For Peace and Development in Nigeria (CNPDN), had called on the former president last June to seek the ticket of the ruling party.

Jonathan who promised to consult widely, however, reneged at the last minute, before the APC Convention where Tinubu emerged as the standard bearer.

Addressing journalists on Sunday, National secretary of the Coalition, Mr. Francis Okereke Wainwei, who incidentally is from Bayelsa State as Dr Jonathan said the group has done its due diligence and came to the conclusion that the former Lagos State governor has the capacity, competence, political experience and nation-wide acceptability for the exalted seat of the president.

Mainwei noted that “as patriotic citizens under the auspices of the Citizens Network For Peace and Development in Nigeria, we took it up as a burning need for us to be actively involved in the process leading to the election of Nigeria’s next president, who shall be taking over from President Muhammadu Buhari next year.

“We consider it as very important and necessary because Nigeria needs a truly visionary, competent, and detribalized leader to enthrone a more united, peaceful and prosperous nation. As patriotic citizens we feel obliged to take some proactive measures to ensure that the right president is elected, come 2023 by providing proper information and guidance that will enable the electorate elect the right candidate as president.

“We therefore, took it upon ourselves to do thorough investigations, opinion sampling and interviewing of major stakeholders from across the country to know the exact mood of the nation to enable the electorate make the right choice for the 2023 presidential election.

ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE 

• We’ve Not Endorsed Tinubu — PFN

• EFCC And The Governors On Its Watch List

• May The Holy Spirit Forgive Those Saying I Need Medical Attention — Hank Anuku

• Rising Poverty: Moving From Poverty Alleviation To Wealth Creation

• GIBBERS: Ibro, Ex-Kogi Gov, Writes Soludo Over Obi

• Wedding bells toll for Mr Eazi, Temi Otedola

“We also took into consideration the declarations of both the APC Northern Governors’ forum and that of the Southern Nigeria Governors’ forum with respect to which part of the country should produce the next president in 2023. Both groups declared that power should shift to Southern Nigeria for the purpose of promoting equity, justice and fairness, which they argued would strengthen the unity of the country.

“After a forensic analysis of the declarations and opinions of various groups and stakeholders across the country, we also came to the conclusion that for the peace, unity and progress of this country, a competent and experienced presidential candidate from Southern Nigeria be elected as president, come 2023.This is to strengthen the fragile unity we are experiencing at the moment, as a nation. It will appease some groups and individuals agitating against the political domination of others by any one part of the country.

“We went further to examine the capacity, competence, political experience and nationwide acceptability of the presidential candidates from Southern Nigeria and we discovered that Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress tops the other candidates.

“We hereby declare our total support for Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC Presidential candidate, as our preferred candidate for the office of President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, come 2023.

“We are, therefore, using this medium to also call on all patriotic Nigerians to support and vote massively for Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president in the 2023 presidential election as that is the best interest for Nigeria at the moment.

“Our choice of Bola Tinubu is strongly premised on his wealth of political experience, intellectual sagacity, a knack for identifying and recruiting competent people and the capacity to mobilize human and material resources for the accelerated and holistic development of the country.

“We believe strongly that the next president of this country should be someone who firmly believes in the philosophy of “building the people to build the nation”, he should be a people-oriented president.

“Tinubu fits perfectly for the kind of president Nigeria needs in the next dispensation He has the capacity and the wealth of political experience to re-enact the Lagos State magic in both the economic and political stability of this country. He is a national patriot and a detribalized leader that has the visionary mindset to build a prosperous, strong, peaceful and united Nigeria.”