Dawodu, Wahab, Gbenga Abiola, Oki Others Present As Youths In Lagos Pledges Support For Tinubu

Ahead of the forthcoming general elections slated for Saturday, February 25 and March 11, 2023, Nigerian youths converged in Lagos to declare their unflinching support for All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The event witnessed by the Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr Olusegun Dawodu, the Special Advisers to the Governor of Lagos State on Education and Mrs Toke Benson-Awoyinka, the Vice Chairman of Agege Local Government, Hon. Gbenga Abiola and Secretary of the Lagos APC Campaign Council, Ogboni Fuad Oki among others was attended by non-political youth organizations, voluntary youth groups as well as the Nigeria Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN)

The youths, who came from all the twenty (20) local governments and thirty-seven (37) local council development areas (LCDA) in Lagos, converged on Marquee Hall in Agidingbi, Ikeja, on Thursday, to unanimously adopt Tinubu and his running mate, Sen. Kashim Shettima.

The youths also endorsed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for another term, describing the Lagos helmsman as the most performing state administrator in the outgoing dispensation.

Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Hon. Olusegun Dawodu, on whose instance the event was convened, said the Saturday election would be another watershed moment in the country’s political history, stressing that Tinubu remained the only true unifier among the contenders, who would bring the country together.

Dawodu, who recalled how Tinubu scouted for youths under age 35 for cabinet appointments in 1999, said the leadership tutelage model adopted by the APC presidential candidate had raised and thrown up new generation of leaders working to improve governance across the country.

The Commissioner said Sanwo-Olu, appointed into Tinubu’s cabinet in his 30s, had risen on the leadership ladder to become the best-performing Governor in the country. Dawodu said young people would be the backbone of the Tinubu presidency if elected, urging the youths to mobilise members of their constituency into voting for APC on Saturday. ”The man Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is a man of honour, he’s a true lover of the youth, among those running for president, Tinubu is the only candidate who stands out with verifiable track record. He is a visionary leader who will take our country to its destiny.”

“In 1999, he catched us young, myself, our Honourable Minister, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, Dr. Muiz Banire and our performing Governor Sanwo-Olu we’re all at our 30s when Asiwaju appointed us into his cabinet.”

Special Adviser to Gov. Sanwo-Olu on Education, Hon. Tokunbo Wahab, said it was vision which differentiated Tinubu from other candidates, reminding the youths of the progress recorded in Lagos education system.

Wahab said Lagos would not have recorded the progress if there had not been continuity in the governance of the State by political parties backed by the APC presidential candidate.

He said: “Election is a science of mathematics and numbers. This will work out better if we are able to mobilise people to vote for APC on Saturday. With a good head start of 4.5 million votes in Lagos alone, this will give Tinubu a comfortable edge over other contenders,” Wahab said.

The Vice Chairman Agege Local Government, Gbenga Abiola in his closing remark stated this is a payback time for Tinubu “If you plant seeds, you should expect to reap rewards, this is why we are here, Asiwaju is a man of his words, man of integrity. Among all the candidates, he’s the only one with good track records and good vision to turn things around for us all in Nigeria.”

In his remark, the chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) in Lagos, Comrade Biliamin Oba, said the attendees were convinced that Tinubu remained the only presidential candidate who possessed the capacity and vision to turn things around in the country.

“We watched carefully all the campaigns ran by the major presidential contenders and we came to the understanding that only one of them understands the challenges facing our country. His manifesto is believed to offer solutions, because we have seen his track record. Tinubu governed a modern city that could be a country of its own and initiated development plans that have been efficiently implemented by his successors. Lagos, today, has become a pacesetter in governance. On the day of election, we have resolved that all of us will be independent canvassers for Tinubu.”

Speaker of Nigeria Youth Parliament, Azizat Yishau, said she personally enjoined her colleagues in the parliament with a message of peace “In Lagos, we have assignment to deliver millions of votes for Asiwaju which we’ll and also, I urged you all to go out there on Saturday and use your PVC to talk. My message is vote don’t fight.”