Collage photo of Asiwaju Tinubu and Adesoji Akanbi.
By Ofonime Honesty
Blueprint, antecedent and capacity, not age, should be the major determining factors for an aspirant’s suitability for Nigeria’s 2023 presidential job. This position was canvassed by Senator Rilwan Adesoji Akanbi, former Senator, Oyo South Senatorial District.
This is even as there are speculations that age factor could be a huge determining factor in the contest. With rising youth unemployment among the problems besetting the country, many hold that the youth population will root for a member of its generation who fully understands their needs.
Nigeria’s incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari, is 78 years old. Asiwaju Tinubu, currently 68, will be 70 in 2023.
Speaking in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, ahead of the inauguration of Akwa Ibom Stakeholders for Asiwaju Tinubu (AKISAT) 2023, a volunteer-oriented political support group, Senator Akanbi insisted that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu fits the bill in all ramifications.
He suggested that the youth population should rather root for a presidential aspirant with evidence of quality service delivery.
“It’s not a matter of being young; it’s a matter of marketing a product. We are talking about empirical evidences, what he or she has done before I’m certain situations,” he explained.
He noted that Tinubu has demonstrated over the years that he is leader who spots and utilizes human talents to achieve results: “the team of a government determines the mind of the leader. Let me give you an example, when Bola Tinubu was governor of Lagos State, all his team was quite young. He is a talent hunter, he looks for younger people who have quality and what it takes, brushes them up and make them take the mantle of the country.”
He continued: “At the moment, look at Tinubu’s (Governorship) Commissioner’s list in the present federal government and look at the role they are even playing – that is even a pointer to convince the youths to support Tinubu. There were many older people around in Lagos, but he chose to take the risk on the youth, look at the result. See Tinubu as a captain of a team.”
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Senator Akanbi, a frontline member of South West Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA) 2023, also mentioned that as Governor, Tinubu, with the support of his cabinet, ran Lagos State successfully for several years when the Olusegun Obasanjo led federal government ceased the state’s monthly federal allocation.
Also in the state for the AKISAT’23 inauguration is Senator Adedayo Adeyeye, a former Minister of State for Works, and a host of other bigwig volunteers for the Asiwaju Tinubu 2023 Presidential Project.
