2023: My bid for president not personal, but for Nigeria’s interest, Tinubu replies Yoruba

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has responded to the statement credited to the leader of Yoruba Nation Self-Determination Group, Ilana Omo Odu’a, Prof. Banji Akintoye, over his presidential ambition.

Akintoye in a lengthy statement on Thursday had described Tinubu’s ambition as emanating from personal interest.

He slammed the former Lagos State Governor for allegedly betraying the demands of the Yoruba people, vowing not to vote for him next year.

Tinubu, in a response through his Director of Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday, branded Akintoye’s claim as grossly malicious and preposterous.

Onanuga insisted Tinubu’s presidential ambition was borne out of his readiness to serve Nigerians of all extractions.

The statement read in part: “Our attention has been drawn to an unfortunate, misdirected, misplaced and divisive statement credited to Prof Banji Akintoye, in which his group threatened to pull the South West out of Nigeria.

“To be candid, there are several agitation groups in the South West and in other parts of Nigeria who wrongly think the best way to demand justice and fairness is through the break-up of our country.

“It is pertinent to state that Asiwaju Tinubu is contesting for Nigeria’s presidency because of his readiness to render unflinching service to Nigerians and because of his abiding faith in a strong, united and prosperous Nigeria where every man and woman, regardless of their ethnicity and religious beliefs, can be proud and prosperous.

“Most of the issues around the structure of our federalism raised in Prof Akintoye’s poorly thought-out statement have been sufficiently addressed in Asiwaju’s Action Plan with his promise to address some of the problems plaguing our federalism and the will to make the states more viable as federating units by devolving more powers to them.”

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