9th June, 2022
By Adeyemi Adeleye
The All Progressives Congress (APC), South African Chapter, said the wide margin of votes polled by Sen. Bola Tinubu to win the 2023 party’s presidential ticket is a valid proof of his acceptability.
In a congratulatory message jointly signed the chapter’s Interim National Chairman and Public Affairs Officer, Dr Legend Asuelime and Pastor Kingsley Nze respectively, the group said that Tinubu’s victory was well-deserved.
“We congratulate the presidential flag bearer of our party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his triumph at the party’s Special Convention on Wednesday in Abuja.
“The margin of the tallied votes left no doubt about whom members of the party want to lead the country for the next eight years after President Muhammadu Buhari leaves office,” the group said.
The chapter also acknowledged the contributions of Sen. Kashim Shettima, former Borno governor, toward Tinubu’s emergence as APC presidential candidate.
According to them, Shettima remains a dogged hero through the process, and a loyal friend to Tinubu.
“Two nationalists, that have bridged Southwest and the North of Nigeria. A feat their predecessors cannot. The bond between these two made it happen,” they said.
The group also acknowledged and congratulated various support groups both in Nigeria and in South Africa that worked tirelessly to ensure the emergence of Tinubu.
They listed such groups to include the Tinubu Support Organisation (TSO), The Asiwaju Group (TAG), Tinubu Support Group (TSG), TINUBU (TITAN), South Africa among others.
The diaspora chapter said that the work to enthrone Tinubu as Nigeria’s next President had just begun, saying: ” 2023 is the goal.
“We also want to use this medium to call on all APC Diaspora chapters to start organising around the delivery of our flag bearer in the 2023 presidential elections in Nigeria,” they said.
Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, defeated 13 other aspirants, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, to clinch the party’s ticket for the 2023 presidential election.
Tinubu, one of the national leaders of the ruling party, polled 1,271 votes to defeat his closest rival, former Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi who got 316 votes.
Osinbajo garnered 235 votes to emerge third in the keenly contested primary which featured 23 aspirants, with nine withdrawing from the race before the contest commenced.