By Dele Ogunyemi, Ibadan
Former Presidential candidate of the National Action Council (NAC), Dr. Olapade Agoro has urged Northern leaders to forget about retaining power in the zone beyond 2023, and rally round the presidential ambition of Action Progressives Congress (APC) Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Making the call while speaking with newsmen at his Apata, Ibadan residence, Dr. Agoro declared that it is wrong for political associates of Alhaji Atiku Abubarka to roll out the drums once again, calling on the former Vice President to run in 2023.
He noted that Tinubu is known to be an arch – supporter of northern Presidential candidates right from 2007, saying the 2023 should be a pay back time for the north to reciprocate the support given by Tinubu to Atiku in 2007, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu in 2011, and incumbent President Muhammodu Buhari in 2015 and 2019.
Agoro specifically explained that without the inputs of the APC National Leader, who used his resources, influence and political sagacity, it would have been difficult for President Buhari to win the 2015 Presidential election.
Dr. Agoro insisted that it will be morally wrong for the North to agitate for the 2023 Presidency, owing to the fact that “the just concluded 2019 Presidential election was wrongly tilted in favour of the northern part of Nigeria that presented Buhari and Atiku, the two popular candidates for the election “.
His words: “It became obvious that the 2019 election was meant to serve the interest of the North. The management of the election by INEC was also one – eyed looking wrongly in favour of the North. Otherwise, how do we explain that the two popular candidates from the North polled about 40 million votes, leaving other 69 candidates with less than one million votes?”
Agoro stated that care must be taken this time around to ensure fairness and fair play, insisting that the South should be allowed to have its own slot.
On the agitation for the 2023 Presidency by the Southeast, the former NAC Presidential candidate said “the Igbos have started clamouring for their right, which is right”.