Moshood Salvador, chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has urged Ayo Adebanjo, a leader of Afenifere and Bode George, former deputy national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to leave the question of who becomes the president of the country in 2023 to God.
The former chairman of PDP in Lagos State stated this in a press conference at his residence in Surulere, Tuesday, warning the duo to stop attacking national leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu.
Salvador frowned at statements credited to the duo where, he claimed, they attacked Tinubu for aspiring to become the president in 2023, and had said it was the turn of the South-East to produce the president in 2023.
He said that their statements were personal and that they were not speaking on behalf of the Yoruba nation.
He wondered why the elders who should be there to guide as was customary of Yoruba race, should constitute themselves into running down their son.
The APC Chieftain said it was abnormal for any Yoruba elder to be seen going against the aspiration of any Yoruba person becoming president in 2023.
He maintained that they should leave the issue of 2023 presidency to God and Nigerians to decide, stressing that it was Almighty Allah that would give and take power.
According to him “Have you ever heard of any derogatory statement from a Northern leader against the aspiration of a Northerner in favour of any other aspirant from another region?
“Have you ever heard of Ohaneze leaders condemning or speaking against the aspiration of another Igbo man?
“Have you ever heard Edwin Clark or any of the South-South leaders speaking against the aspiration of their son?” he asked.
“It is only these Yoruba Afenifere leaders that believe that Yoruba does not deserve good things, claiming to be nationalists. Remember the statement of Baba Abraham Adesanya, ‘I am from Adesanyo family before I became an Ijebu man.
“I am an Ijebu man before a Yoruba man. I am a Yoruba man before a Nigerian and I am a Nigerian before I can be called an African,” he said.
Alluding to the duo, Salvador added that in 2015, the same set of Yoruba elders said that Yemi Osinbajo would not be vice president, but when God decided, nobody could stop it.
He stated that Ayo Adebanjo, who is an ijebu man from South-West and others were busy campaigning for Peter Obi against their son, Osinbajo.
He pointed out that if it was the wish of God for a Yoruba man to rule the country in 2023, nobody would stop it, not even the Afenifere elders.
The APC chieftain stated that he found the claim by Ayo Adebanjo that no Igbo man had been president since independence as spurious, stressing that Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first Nigerian president was an Igbo man.
He lambasted the duo for insisting that if an Igbo man failed to be president in 2023 the country would break up, stressing that Adebanjo and George did not have the political power to influence or assert their claims.
Salvador further described Tinubu as an icon and illustrious son of Yoruba land who apart from Awolowo had been the one who took the South-West to the centre and had also empowered so many Yoruba people, produced captains of industry and political leaders.
Iniobong Iwok
