…I won’t turn down your calls, Tinubu assures Nigerians 

…As Teslim-Balogun tasks new party exco

By Dayo Johnson, Dapo Akinrefon & Omeiza Ajayi

NATIONAL Leader of the All Progressives Congress APC, Bola Tinubu, yesterday, assured Nigerians that he will not turn down their clamour for him to be the next President of the country in 2023.

This came as a former deputy Senate majority leader, Senator Abdul Ningi, yesterday, urged the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, not to embark on trial in choosing the right candidate in 2023, saying the party must pick the most bankable candidate.

Similarly, the son of the late football legend, Teslim ‘Thunder’ Balogun, Rasheed Teslim-Balogun, charged the new PDP executives to keep the ball rolling as they embark on the new assignments of taking the party to greater heights.

I won’t turn down your calls —Tinubu

Tinubu made the declaration in Abuja, after a closed-door meeting with members of the Northern Alliance Committee, NAC.

He, however, noted that consultations with political stakeholders were still ongoing.

Asked if he will not heed the clamour of Nigerians to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, Tinubu said: “I am not going to turn them (Nigerians) down, but I will still effectively and widely consult, particularly brainstorm with my friends and find a date to come out openly and tell Nigerians.

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“The President is still in office. I don’t want to distract him from all the challenges that he might face today. So, we will consult and make our programmes known to the people later and the intention is clear. So, you keep guessing.”

Endorsing Tinubu for the 2023 presidential election, the leader of NAC, Ambassador Lawal Munir, said: “The meeting ended very well. We are working for him because we know he will win the election when the time comes.”

How PDP can get it right in 202—Senator Ningi

Meanwhile, Senator Ningi, who spoke with newsmen in Akure, however, backed former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, saying he remains the right candidate.

He said: “He remains the best option for PDP considering his pedigree and the number of votes he was able to secure during the 2019 presidential polls.

“There was no point for the party to embark on trial during the election but to stick with who he described as the most bankable candidate.

“Ordinarily, in developed democracies where you have a candidate in the previous election that did so well, as an opposition party, you don’t need another candidate.

“More so, this is a candidate that garnered more than 12.5 million Nigerians in his kitty. And with the event of the country now that all those that voted for Atiku Abubakar in 2019 will vote for him again.

“That means from the onset, you have over 12.5 million voters in your kitty. Where would you look for another candidate that you will send on trial? Why would you even imagine that there is a candidate in this country that can be better than Atiku Abubakar?

“The PDP is unaware of the challenges ahead. The candidates are even themselves not unaware of the challenges.”

Speaking on the adoption of direct primaries for subsequent elections in the country, Ningi said that it should be applied in phases instead of adopting it for all elections.

Teslim-Balogun tasks new PDP exco

Also, Teslim-Balogun, in a statement, said the swearing-in ceremony of the PDP national exco in Abuja is a new dawn in the affairs of the party.

He said: “The swearing-in programme was the beginning of the process that would catapult the party to greater success in 2023. From their past antecedents, the new executives no doubt, have the track records and political will to reclaim the glory of the party in the 2023 elections, and they have resolved to take PDP back to the winning ways.

“However, in achieving this lofty dream, I urge all our members to support the new exco in their effort and determination to make sure that our noble party achieves the best in the coming years.

“I urge party stakeholders to work with them to ensure we achieve success in the coming elections.

“I want to also urge Governor Seyi Makinde, who is the only governor of the party in South-West, and Chief Olabode George to work together in ensuring that there is peace and unity within the PDP in the southwest and Lagos in particular. Lagos state PDP appreciates the efforts of past and present leaders of the party, but it is now time to take the State to greater heights.”

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