Youths in South-West region on Thursday urged former Governor of Ogun State and Senator representing Ogun Central at the National Assembly, Ibikunle Amosun, to throw his hat into the ring by contesting for the 2023 presidency, promised to purchase form for him.
The youth under the auspices of the South-West Youth Agenda maintained that they would contribute funds to purchase Amosun’s expression of interest and nomination form if he declares to contest.
They stated this while addressing journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Ibadan, Oyo State.
It would be recalled that the All Progressives Congress (APC) pegged the price of its expression of interest and nomination forms at N100 million during its National Executive Council meeting on Wednesday.
But the group’s coordinator, Olujimi Bamgboye who was flanked by the secretary and treasurer, Ayodeji Rabiu and Adeola Adelakun respectively noted that nothing is too much to be committed to the project targeted at securing and ensuring the wellbeing of Nigerians.
Bamgboye said the group comprises members from the business community, international community, academics, young parliamentarians and vibrant activists.
The coordinator said the group’s support for Amosun was hinged on his giant strides in tackling insecurity in Ogun State when he was governor between 2011 and 2019.
He also noted that Amosun has the wherewithal to face and defeat any political heavyweights who are equally contesting the election in the region and the country across political divides.
“Our choice in throwing our support behind Amosun is based on his tenacity, uprightness, detribalised personality and experience both as a senator and former governor of Ogun State in changing the fortunes of the state positively. During his tenure, he tackled the problem of insecurity in the state which made Ogun State the most secured state for investors and was honoured as most security-conscious governor.
“We strongly believe that he has the capacity to replicate all these and more if given the opportunity to lead this great country. For a country like Nigeria, we need a unifier which Amosun represents. He understands and respects religious and ethnic diversity.
“Since our interest is to have the best candidate, and having carefully considered the antecedents and past records of Senator Ibikunle Amosun in governance. It is with great pride and tremendous enthusiasm that South-West Youth Agenda, as a body, offers our wholehearted endorsement and support for Senator Ibikunle Amosun as the flagbearer of the APC to become the next president of Nigeria.
“Also to the leadership of the APC, it is important for us to note that if Senator Amosun becomes the flagbearer of the party, it is best said that 50 per cent of the campaign workload has been done as we will contact our counterparts in other regions of the country and together we shall work assiduously to ensure his victory”, he said.
