By Banji Ayoola
Yoruba youths on Monday gave a 24-hour ultimatum to Yoruba presidential aspirants under the banner of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to reach a consensus and present only one of them before their party as candidate in the 2023 election in the interest of their race.
They made their position known in a statement titled: “Urgent Call to all Yoruba APC Presidential Aspirants: Reach Consensus in 24 hours in the interest of Yoruba Race.”
The statement, which was signed by Yoruba Youth National Leader / National Chairman, Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders of Nigeria, Chief Eric Oluwole, said: “The Yoruba youths hereby ask you all Yoruba Presidential aspirants in the APC to reach a consensus in the next 24 hours in the interest of the South West Region and the entire Yoruba Race both at home in Nigeria and in the Diaspora.”
Pointedly, they said “all the Yoruba APC presidential aspirants including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo, Governor Kayode Fayemi, Senator Ajayi Boroffice and Pastor Tunde Bakare, the youths of South West hereby ask you all to Consider the interest of the Yoruba Race and speak with one voice.”
They asked the aspirants to “Learn from the North and speak with one voice,” adding: “The name of Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, who sacrificed his personal ambition to support Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the PDP presidential candidate from the North, in the overall interest of the North, is already written in gold among his people. Otherwise the North and both aspirants would have lost the race.”
Also, they urged the aspirants to consider especially the states in the region that have never produced Nigerian Leader be he civilian or military.
Following is the statement in full: “Yoruba youths hereby appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari for showing interest in Southern Region to produce the next Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
“We also commend the Northern Governors for supporting the Southern Region in this regard.
“On behalf of the Yoruba youths, I call upon our Elders, Stakeholders, Women and Youths in the Region to work together in the interest of the Region, by ensuring that the APC Presidential candidate comes from the Southwest Region.
“To all the Yoruba APC presidential aspirants including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo, Governor Kayode Fayemi, Senator Ajayi Boroffuce and Pastor Tunde Bakare, the youths of South West hereby ask you all to Consider the interest of the Yoruba Race and speak with one voice.
“It will not be in the interest of our Race or Region and even Nigeria which you all wish to serve for you all go to the convention clinging to your individual aspirations. Neither will it be in your own personal political interest.
“This is the time for statesmanship, maturity and leadership. This is the time to make sacrifice in the interest of the Yoruba Nation, especially the state that have not produce president in the region before should be kindly considered, meet together as brothers, reach a consensus and present one of you as the consensus APC presidential aspirant from the South West at the Convention of your party to ensure that the APC Presidential Candidate comes from our Race and Region.
“Learn from the North and speak with one voice. The name of Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, who sacrificed his personal ambition to support Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the PDP presidential candidate from the North, in the overall interest of the North, is already written in gold among his people. Otherwise the North and both aspirants would have lost the race.
“The Yoruba youths hereby ask you all Yoruba Presidential aspirants in the APC to reach a consensus in the next 24 hours in the interest of the South West Region and the entire Yoruba Race both at home in Nigeria and in the Diaspora.”
