From Bola Ogunlayi, Ibadan
The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade ll has congratulated former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for clinching the APC presidential candidate ticket.
The highly respected Monarch also felicitated other presidential candidates in other political parties that would contest the 2023 presidential election.
Tinubu (APC) would join Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Sen. Rabiu Kwankanso (NNPP) , Peter Obi (Labour Party) and others to fight for the presidency in the presidential election to be conducted in the first quarter of next year.
Reacting to the election of Asiwaju Tinubu and other Presidential candidates in a statement made by Olubadan through his media aide, Oladele Ogunsola, he commended the various political parties for the successful completion of their delegates conferences that produced the presidential flag-bearers.
The monarch, who was a Senator of the Federal Republic between 1999 and 2003 charged the presidential hopefuls to go into serious research and consultations on how to give birth to a new Nigeria that would afford everybody sense of belonging which he said should start manifesting in their electioneering campaigns.
Oba Balogun noted that the time of their contestations for the number one position of the country “is very crucial and strategic in view of the current situation of the country. The job at hand is not for lily-livered or unprepared mind. The task ahead is very enormous and highly demanding in terms of intellect, political sagacity and ability to genuinely coordinate for result-oriented purposes.
“To say that our country is at the crossroads is an understatement, we need a true, committed, passionate and compassionate leader, who would be ready to tackle headlong the myriad of challenges confronting us as a nation and capable of making vain the labour of our past heroes.
“You will all agree with me that the people’s hope and expectations for the dawn of a new era come 2023 are very high and whoever God will grant the grace to lead the country by then must be very ready, prepared and imbued with goal- getting ability to meet the people’s aspiration. All these must start to reflect in your various electioneering campaigns which I urge should be issues-based”, Olubadan stated further.
Expressing confidence in the ability of some of the presidential candidates who were said to be political giants and veterans in the management of human and material resources, the monarch said the nation is blessed with formidable personalities across the various political party lines that possess the wherewithal to navigate the country out of the present quagmire.
Olubadan also charged the presidential candidates to avoid personalities’ attack during their electioneering campaigns as well as other utterances that could further put a wedge between them and their supporters. Rather, he said they should concentrate on how they would sincerely and genuinely tackle the problems confronting the country.
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