Afenifere Secretary General Chief Sola Ebiseni and Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa
By Banji Ayoola
The Secretary-General of the pan Yoruba organisation, Afenifere, Chief Sola Ebiseni has declared his support for the reelection of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Simultaneously, he formally joined the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, promising to bring along all his supporters into the party to step up the campaign nationwide for Tinubu’s return.
Ebiseni, who was until now a chieftain of the Labour Party and former South West Coordinator of the Presidential Campaign Council of Mr Peter Obi in the 2023 general election, made the twin declaration during a meeting with Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa,at the Government House, Akure, alongside the APC State Chairman, Hon. Kolawole Babatunde.
He was also a former governorship candidate in Ondo State,, a former commissioner in the Adebayo Adefarati administration, and a former chairman of the old Ilaje Ese Odo Local Government.
Declaring his support for Tinubu’s second term, he said he and his supporters are prepared to join the overwhelming majority of Nigerians to ensure the President’s re-election in the overall interest of Nigeria’s stability, development and progress .
Ebiseni said the declaration is in tandem with the views of most Nigerians and political gladiators that the presidency should remain in southern Nigeria in the interest of the political stability of the federation.
His words, “First and foremost and for the avoidance of any doubt, our declaration today for the President’s second term is in tandem with the views of most Nigerians and political gladiators that the office of the President should still be in southern Nigeria in the interest of the political stability of the federation.”
He said although Tinubu is not the only candidate from the South, his policies and programmes are already known and articulated and would be improved upon in a second term, rather than starting with a new President and new policies which would not mature in the next four years.
According to him, one disastrous consequence would be the revisionist economic policy of returning to the fuel subsidy regime.
He said, “Whatever anyone may say about the removal of subsidy which all frontline Presidential candidates promised in 2023, its retention would have spelt doom particularly the states which were already lying prostate in the discharge of their responsibilities to the citizens.”
Ebiseni said Tinubu needs a second term to enable the full benefits of some of his audacious socio-economic policies to materialise, including the introduction of State Police and the increase in the divisions of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12.
He said the measures are in the best interest of the welfare and security of the people and require time to germinate and bear fruits.
On the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Ebiseni described the project as the most significant life-changing project for the Ilaje coastal people of Ondo State.
His words,“Politics is local and as a leader of my Ilaje coastal people of Ondo State, this road is the most significant life-changing project for us and I am here to join President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for its full implementation particularly its proper coastal alignment in the state.
“To us therefore whom much is given by the President, much more is expected in terms of support for his re-election,”
In his speech, the governor assured the Afenifere chieftain and his supporters of full integration into the APC campaign structure for the forthcoming general elections.
Aiyedatiwa said Ebiseni’s political activities across Ondo State, his experience as a former Chairman of the old Ilaje-Ese-Odo Local Government and his service as Commissioner several times in the state would add value to the campaign for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He also identified Ebiseni’s position as Secretary-General of Afenifere and his activities in other sociocultural organisations as an added advantage to the tasks ahead.
The governor said Ebiseni and his supporters would add value to the President’s re-election campaign, to which the APC and the people of Ondo State are absolutely committed.
“We know you as one of our leaders in the state and your political activities across the state and your roles in the Afenifere and other sociocultural Organisations in the county will be an added advantage and value to tasks ahead of us,” he said.
He said the presence of the APC State Chairman at the meeting was to assure Ebiseni and his supporters of appropriate integration into the party’s campaign structure in all the elections.
