As Nigerians look forward to the swearing-in of a new president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 29th, a group, Greater Oyo State Forum on Thursday appealed to the new president to rally notable leaders and stakeholders that worked for the actualization of his electoral victory in the Pacesetter State for a meeting ahead of the Inauguration Day.
The group said such meeting would allow the leaders to pay their homage on the new president because there hasn’t been any of such ‘congratulatory visit’ to the Asiwaju since February when he won at the poll.
According to the group, such visit would engender mutual trust among the people of the State and the President-elect because they are already worried that the Stte hasn’t been properly represented, notwithstanding the visit of G5 Governors to the President-elect, where Governor Seyi Makinde of the State also featured prominently.
Drawing inference from other Southwest States where key stakeholders had visited the President-elect, the group said deaths of its prominent leaders especially two former Governors and first class Royal Fathers, shouldn’t be an excuse not to have other pro-Tinubu leaders making it to Abuja on Congratulatory visit.
The new president won on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Makinde, though a Peoples Democratic Party member surreptitiously supported Tinubu of APC to win all the 33 Local Governments during the recently held presidential election of 2023.
The Greater Oyo State Forum in a signed press statement by its Chairman, Hon. Simeon Adeleke said: ‘a number of eminent people of the State; traditional rulers, religious leaders, women groups, market men and women led by the Babaloja and Iyaloja and others supported Asiwaju to clinch landslide victory spanning all the 33 Local Governments during the election.
‘On the political side, the wife of former Governor of the State, Mrs Florence Ajimobi; a serving Executive Secretary of National Sugar Development Council, Mr. Zacch Adedeji; a notable philanthropist who doubles as the Chairman/CEO, Ilaji Hotels and Sports Resort, Engr. Dotun Sanusi, among others worked for the success of Mr. President-elect before and during the election.
‘Asiwaju should open his doors to the people of Oyo State to rejoice with him like other States have been doing.
‘We are the first set of people to endorse Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in all the States of the Southwestern Nigeria.
‘Our traditional rulers including Ibadan senior Chiefs, Mogajis, Baales and others organised several rallies across Ibadanland and Oyo State. On many occasions, Ilaji stadium in Akanran, Ona Ara Local Government was the venue for such events.
‘We can say Tinubu’s presidency was a collective efforts and our incoming President must not ostracize Oyo State in the scheme of things. He needs to have our people as cornerstone of his administration. He should create an interface with our people and leaders before the inauguration later this month.
‘It is ironical that since February, almost three months after Asiwaju was declared as winner, none of these great sons and daughters of our State have been hosted or allowed to pay a congratulatory visit to the incoming president.
‘This group observes that other State have had their leaders hosted by the President-elect but Oyo State which posted the best result in the Southwest geopolitical zone has not been opportune to have its leaders visiting the new leader of our country.
‘Should this continue till when Asiwaju takes oath of office as the most powerful leader of the most populous black nation of the world, how would it be possible to ensure that our people enjoy dividends of their sacrifice(s) during the struggles to get Mr President elected?
‘It is therefore a matter of urgency that the Stakeholders from the State rally themselves to also congratulate the President-elect, with a view of positioning our State for the task ahead especially as it concerns Federal presence, political patronages and infrastructural facilities of the new government of the federation for all the geopolitical zones of our State,’ Adeleke added.
