2023: In Ibadan, Obasa, other South-West Speakers mobilise for Tinubu

The push for the All Progressives Congress Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to run for the presidency in 2023 was solidified in Ibadan on Wednesday and Thursday, when former and current speakers of state Houses of Assembly met chart the course.
As has been the case since 1999 when democracy returned, Tinubu has continued to become the central issue in Nigerian politics. In recent times, he has become the centre of debates based on his seeming interest in running for the presidency in 2023. Although he has not publicly directly declared his interest, many of his associates have been giving the indication.
The Ibadan meeting, which observers would consider symbolic based on the significance of the venue as the soul of South-West politics, is one of such. Besides, the important space the ex-speaker occupy also makes it a big story. The speakers are believed to have grassroots connections while they can also easily network with their colleagues across the nation.
At the meeting held at Carlton Gate Xclusive Hotel, in the ancient city were twenty current and past speakers, with Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly as convener. A reoort from the event indicates that Obasa kickstarted it by seizing the opportunity to formally introduce the Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) Foundation and Movement to the gathering.

The BAT Foundation, according to him, is meant to break the shackles of poverty in and create a coordinated humanitarian image for the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The report added, “Obasa stated that though Tinubu had not given the go-ahead to kickstart any interest in the presidency, there is the need to deliberate on this all important issue on his behalf. According to Obasa, all current and former speakers present should after the meeting go back to their respective states to set up the template that would see to the actualisation of the agenda of an Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu presidency come 2023.”
Speaking at the meeting, Ambassador Aliyu Saulawa, national coordinator of the BAT Movement, was emphatic in the movement’s readiness of ensuring power shift to the South-West and to be clinched by Tinubu. He lauded Tinubu’s option of embracing principle by supporting President Mohammadu Buhari rather than former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who would have done anything for Tinubu, to win his support.

“What was resolved at the meeting include: That power must shift to the south and that the South-West must produce the next president. That Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, being a Yoruba man with the capacity, experience and means, should be the candidate to be supported to emerge as the next president of Nigeria.
“That Asiwaju Tinubu still needs to do more networking in Yorubaland, especially amongst serving and past governors so that voices of dissent can be reduced to the minimum. That all stakeholders here present should go back home and start the Asiwaju Tinubu presidential project pending when the time he will come out public to agree to contest. 5 That all speakers present must commence beneficial political interactions with traditional rulers across the southwest,” the report added.
The team paid courtesy visits to some traditional rulers, including the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji; and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.