A chieftain of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, was on Sunday absent as its National Leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, endorsed the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
It would be recalled that Adebanjo had recently said Afenifere has adopted the candidature of Peter Obi of the Labour Party even as he had urged other geopolitical zones to support the South-East to produce the next President in 2023.
In the latest development, the Secretary-General of the association, Chief Sola Ebiseni, was absent at the residence of Pa Fasoranti during the visit of Tinubu.
According to The PUNCH, Tinubu said that the purpose of his visit was to present his presidential action plan to the nonagenarian Yoruba leader.
Tinubu said, “Baba has prayed for me and I said once I got it I will come back. I thank God Almighty that the dream of that time has come to reality. The battle was much. There are many of them that wanted Buhari to anoint another person but he (Buhari) said no. Some of the northern governors came together and resolved that it (power) has to go to South.
“One thing that is certain, no Yoruba men and women opposed this ticket. They support this ticket. I want to tell you that I will bring the trophy home. It is not just a Yoruba thing. It is a Nigeria project.
“The North proved to me that Nigeria can survive its unity. Some people want President Muhammadu Buhari to announce someone but the President said No. He insisted the process must go on democratically. The president said anyone that would mess up the APC process would see the other side of his eyes. He remained upright and saw to the process to the end.
“Northern APC Governors resolved that the Presidency must go to the South and especially South-West. Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Abdullahi Ganduje and others supported me to the end. The battle was tough and at a point I was in doubt. There were many rumours and I became confused of what to believe.”
Tinubu also revealed that he has the full support of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd).
“President Buhari told me I promoted his name with the way I won the primary election because the process was clean and transparent and nobody can accuse him of manipulating the process. President Buhari said I gave him credibility and I deserved to be President.
“When I asked him to nominate the VP candidate for me, he said I should pick whoever I want and it is the reason I chose a competent man in Kashim Shettima who never lost any election and protected Christians in time of trouble in his state,” he stated.
