Femi Fani-Kayode, a former minister of aviation and senior member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has outlined his motivations for rallying support for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima’s candidacy for the presidency.
He also urged Nigerians to join him in backing the former governor of Lagos State.
Fani-Kayode outlined the benefits of Nigerians supporting Tinubu in a lengthy post on his verified Facebook page.
He said: “A few months before the APC Northern Governors took their stand, the Southern Governors had met in Asaba across party lines and they all agreed that power must shift to the South in 2023.
“This was a bold and audacious move which formed part of the basis and an additional reason and incentive for the Northern APC Governors to make their concession and take their noble stand a few months later.
“Apart from the earlier stated reasons they also did so out of deference and respect to the wishes of their Southern counterparts in the party who, led by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, continued to insist that the agreement to shift power to the South must not be breached under any circumstances.
“Unlike two or three of the Southern Governors in the PDP who sadly broke ranks and dishonored their word by supporting a Northern candidate at their party convention, the APC Northern and Southern Governors never wavered. They stood to the last man, they stood firm and they delivered.
“That is how Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerged as the flag bearer of our party and the entire nation should reciprocate and reward their gesture by ensuring that he goes on to win the presidential election next year.
“We must stand with him, pray for him, fight for him, mobilise for him and ensure that he wins convincingly and, once victorious, we must be prepared to defend his mandate with all we have got.
“There will be no repeat of June 12 under any circumstances and contrary to the disinformation being peddled around by our detractors there is no such plan or conspiracy in the offing by those in power today.
“We must also be ready to make difficult and uncomfortable sacrifices and live with the hard choices that the candidate has made, knowing that he made them in good faith, in order to win.”
“Not only can Nigeria not be Islamized but under a Tinubu APC Presidency I have no doubt that major concessions will be made in terms of key positions for Christians not just in the executive but also across the three arms of government in order to make up the balance and assuage the feelings of the many Christians that are concerned, aggrieved and even offended by the prospect and fielding of a Muslim/Muslim ticket.
“This is a golden opportunity for a genuine and sincere national rebirth and we must not overlook it or take it for granted. It is indeed a massive breakthrough.
“Unity and peace can only be rooted and established where there is fairness and equity.
“In my view that fairness and equity can be best served by the election of the APC’s Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.”
