.Supports with N.5m to procure party’s nomination form
A group called Grassroots-37 for Osinbajo, has urged Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to formally declare his interest to run for the office of president in 2023, assuring him of massive support from Nigerians and members of the group across the country.
The group, while making the call during its formal launch in Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday, described Osinbajo as the contemporary Moses of the Bible, who it said was highly anointed for the task of leadership and nation building.
The Convener of the group, Kolade Segun-Okeowo, cited Osinbajo’s performance as Nigeria’s vice-president and at different times while acting as president in the absence of his principal.
Segun-Okeowo stated that such opportunities “prepared him for the task of leading the country as the substantive president.
“It is not surprising that Osinbajo has become a major rallying point among the various interest and support groups across the nation, even though he has yet to formally declare his interest to run.
“He represents the hope for the youths of Nigeria, the business class, women and men alike.
“What Nigeria needs in a president, Osinbajo possesses all the virtues abundantly. He is young at heart, highly cerebral, passionate, patriotic and God-fearing. What more do we need in a president?
“These rare virtues are what many Nigerians are currently clamouring for as requirements for Nigeria’s next president.”
Segun-Okeowo, while asserting that his group had and might not collect money from Vice-President Osinbajo, or from any of his associates as they were the ones “calling on him to run and we are ready to walk our talk by providing financial support for his aspiration,” did a public presentation of a cheque of N500,000 to assist him “in raising part of the needed funds to purchase his nomination form and prosecute his presidential campaign.”
He said that “We are doing this to send a strong message to Nigerians and politicians alike that it would not be business-as-usual in 2023. It is our belief that the change we all desire as a people lies within us and our readiness to change our attitude to politics and politicians and commit ourselves to take ownership of the political process, just as the Grassroots 37 is doing today.”
While hinting that the movement intended to take its campaign to every part of the country before the All Progressives Congress presidential primaries and the 2023 general elections, he urged the VP to formally step into the race, stressing that “Let it be known to the vice-president that Nigerians will not take a no for an answer from him.”
Mr. Dapo Akinosun (SAN), who represented Osinbajo at the event, thanked the group for deeming the vice-president fit for the highest office in the land, describing Osinbajo as that man “with the required experience.”
According to Akinosun, Osinbajo is a tested hand, a sound lecturer, one of the best Attorney-Generals ever in Nigeria, a father, an incredible family man, as well as a firm believer in Nigeria.
“I believe that if we have that kind of a person to rule Nigeria, the sky is the limit for Nigeria. I would deliver your letter to him; we would continue to pressurize him to join the race,” he said.
Yinka Akande, in his remarks, said that Osinbajo would not have any problem winning the party’s ticket, as, according to him, delegates would not have any choice other than voting for a popular aspirant at the primary.
“There is no way a popular aspirant can be pushed aside by the delegates if that is the one everyone wants,” he said.
