BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
As the race for the presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress thickens, the Asiwaju Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta, Dr Khamis Olatunde-Badmus has canvassed reasons why the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo and other aspirants of Yoruba race should not run against Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Specifically, the elder statesman urged the other aspirants to consider the roles Asiwaju Bola Tinubu played in their success stories and desist from contesting the ticket of the APC with him. He added that almost all Southwest states had benefited from Tinubu.
Olatunde Badmus, while addressing journalists in Osogbo on Monday, asked Osinbajo, former governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, and others to allow Tinubu, being the oldest among them and first to formally declare interest to clinch the ticket stressing that failure to do this would divide the over 12 million votes that would come from the Southwest.
According to the influential businessman, all other presidential aspirants had at one time or the other got tremendous assistance from Tinubu, adding that they should allow wisdom to prevail by stepping down for the former governor of Lagos State.
He said, “What I am after is the unity of this country and that Yorubas, we are important race in Nigeria today. In a race where we have about seven or eight of our children now coming to say they want to be president, whereas, there is only one vacant seat. And is it not a way of dividing the about 12 to 13 million votes that Yorubas have? If you have been able to give respect to whom respect is due, we know ourselves and we know who is elderly among us and we know who and who has contributed to our lives.
“Is it part of the Yoruba culture to say that somebody by one way or the other has contributed to one thing or the other about your life and you now believe that that person will be an opponent to you. So, what I am just saying is that only God knows who will be the next president of Nigeria but in Yoruba, the area we are is that we should not divide our votes because it is not going to benefit us and that has been my empasis. The person that you might see me together with is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He came out first to say he wants to be president and that’s the only person that has approached me. That’s the only person that I am aware of, the other one, I am not aware of.
“My message is that this man (Tinubu) played a major role in each life of everybody that has become whatever they are today. He doesn’t discrimate against Christians and he doesn’t discrimate against Muslim. Go and check the history of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, 90 percent of those who are managing him today are Christians. The wife of Asiwaju is one of the Senior Pastors at Redeemed Christian Church of God and all his children are in the Churches. It’s we Muslims that we say are we not building more Christians by giving our votes to Bola Ahmed Tinubu. But, we are not complaining.
“Tell me any state in Southwest that Tinubu does not have contributions as to who and who becomes the governor. Will Fayemi say Tinubu didn’t contribute to his being a governor? Will Osinbajo say he was not an Attorney General under Tinubu? You should give respect to elders. Will Aregbesola say he didn’t benefit from him? But they may have their own differences but I believe there is a need for wisdom to prevail on them so that they can sit down together and say leader is a leader. The ego is going to be there and by the time they do their convention, it’s one person that will emerge. Even if they are pushing you, common sense should prevail,” the Muslim leader opined.
