The immediate past governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, says the people of the state would ensure the delivery of over a million votes for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, in the 2023 presidential election, saying the APC has offered the best candidate to turn around Nigeria’s fortunes.

Oyetola noted that the country is in dire need of a competent individual like Tinubu to build on the gains of the incumbent administration and drive the nation’s potential for socioeconomic growth and development of the country.

He said this at the inauguration of the Osun State chapter of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council in Osogbo, the state capital on Thursday.

Oyetola, who is the state coordinator of the campaign council, tasked the newly-inaugurated members of the PCC to begin to intensify efforts towards ensuring victory for Tinubu and his running mate, Sen. Kashim Shettima, and other party’s candidates in the forthcoming general election.

The former governor said no stone would be left unturned to ensure the emergence of Tinubu and Shettima as well as all the candidates of the party in 2023.

“There is no room for experiment on the choice of next president at this critical time in the history of Nigeria, hence the need to elect Tinubu whose political pedigree, good, responsible and responsive governance antecedents are second to none,” he said.

Oyetola, who described Tinubu/Shettima ticket as divine, said the team was powered by tested and trusted hands as it “offers a renewed hope for all in all sectors, ensures today and assures tomorrow for all and sundry.”

“Asiwaju is a pathfinder and leader per excellence. Once he identifies a problem, he not only solves it but also comes up with institutional framework to ensure such a problem does not occur again.

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“For instance, to tackle perennial flooding, he dredged the Atlantic Ocean, reclaimed the land, and created the Eko Atlantic City where you have various economic activities going on there today.

“Our presidential candidate is not only a problem solver, he is a genius, a roadmap designer, and an implementer who out of little or nothing, turned around the socioeconomic fortunes of Lagos State.

“Additionally, the team is the only one that has the required capacity and political wherewithal to reposition Nigeria by building on the gains of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration,” the former governor said.

While tasking the members of the party to remain resolute, united, and unperturbed, Oyetola expressed delight in the firmness of the party’s structure and commitment of the leadership and members of the APC in Osun State, saying it was a signal to the fact that the party remains the party to beat “anytime and any day in Osun”.

He commended the members of the party for their support and loyalty in the face of daunting challenges and for continually remaining resolute to the cause of progressivism, especially since after the July 16 governorship election in the state.

“Considering the love and support the people of Osun showed us and our party on July 16 and even afterward, I have no doubt in my mind that our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), remains a party to beat in Osun.

“As members and stakeholders who have resolved to work for the victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, and other candidates of our great party, the APC at the February and March polls, we must intensify our efforts and ensure no stone is left unturned.

“At this critical time in the history of Nigeria, there is no room for experiment on the choice of our next president.

“Considering Tinubu and Shettima’s political pedigree, good, responsible, and responsive governance antecedents, there is no doubt that the cap fits them,” he added.

On his part, the acting chairman of the party in the state, Tajudeen Lawal, urged the party’s loyalists to begin a door-to-door campaign and mobilisation of people to troop out en masse to elect and ensure victory for the party.

Lawal, who described the choice of Tinubu as “a round peg in the round hole”, said the time has come for all lovers of good governance to get him elected.

Also speaking at the event, the Speaker of the Osun House of Assembly, Hon. Timothy Owoeye, expressed confidence that Oyetola would be “victorious and return as Osun Governor”, adding that Tinubu would also be elected as the next president of the country.

Owoeye, who described the outcome of the July 16 Osun governorship as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as “a temporary setback”, said God would soon return Oyetola back to govern the state for a second term before July 2023.

He urged the party’s loyalists to embark on unit-based campaigns across the state, saying no effort must be spared to ensure victory for all the party’s candidates in the forthcoming general election.

“In 2019, the Supreme Court gave its final verdict on July 5, affirming the victory of Oyetola as the governor. If you know them, go and tell them that before July 5, 2023, Oyetola will be returned as Osun Governor.

“They thought they could manipulate the results of the election in their favour, but we thank God that the results of the Bimodal Voter’s Accreditation System (BVAS) exposed them.

“So, please, the presidential election is very important to us and we want you to begin to mobilise our people to vote massively for our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, and all other candidates of our party,” the Speake said.

The Star