By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
The Southern Summit of Former National Legislators has adopted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as its sole presidential candidate for the 2027 presidential election in Nigeria.
While also affirming that it is the turn of the South to complete her tenure in the leadership of the country, the former legislators from the South hailed their northern colleagues for summoning the uncommon courage to call on the South to retain power till 2031.
These formed parts of the communique signed by Hon. Adeyemi Oluwole; chairman, Southern Caucus and Hon. Israel Sunny Goli; Secretary South, at the conclusion of the summit of the Southern Caucus of former National Legislators in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The Summit chaired by ex – President of the Senate, Ken Nnamani, was convened by former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Femi Gbajabiamila and had in attendance former Speaker Yakubu Dogara, former Speaker Patricia Olubunmi Etteh, Hon. Adekunle Adeyemi and other past federal lawmakers.
The ex – lawmakers noted in their communique that it is in the best interest of the South geopolitical zone and Nigeria for President Tinubu to complete the zone’s tenure, calling on Nigerians to pursue this course so as to promote national unity and firm up the nation building process.
Parts of the communique reads:”That as a body, we commend the patriotic courage of our Colleagues of the Northern Caucus in calling for the South to complete their tenure of the Leadership of the Country
“We commend the innovative reforms of Government which include among others, the establishment of Regional Development Commissions, Local Government Autonomy, Student Loans Scheme and Deregulation of Electricity Sector, and calls for greater collaboration of State Governments, and support of Citizens alike to be able to harvest the great potentials of these reforms.
“That as a body, we will always align ourselves to those things that will promote the Unity, peace and prosperity of our dear Country Nigeria.
“We commend the patriotic courage of our Colleagues of the Northern Caucus in calling for the South to complete their tenure of the Leadership of the Country.
” We affirm that it is turn of the South to complete its tenure.
” We posit that it is in the best interest of the South and Nation that the incumbent, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu completes the tenure of the South.
“Accordingly, we adopt him as the Sole Candidate of the South.
“We call on the South to Support the North in 2031 to take up their tenure for the Leadership of our dear Country.
“We call on all Nigerians to pursue this Course to promote National Unity and firm the foundation of Nation Building.”
The ex-lawmakers commended the innovative reforms of President Tinubu led Federal Government and declared that they would always align themselves with those things that seek to promote the unity, peace and prosperity of Nigeria.
They listed the President’s bold initiatives as the establishment of Regional Development Commissions, Local Government Autonomy, Student Loans Scheme and Deregulation of Electricity Sector, and called for greater collaboration of state governments, and support of citizens to reap the great potentials of these reforms.
In their goodwill messages, Senators: Nnamani, former Speakers of the House of Representatives (HoR), Yakubu Dogara, Patricia Olubunmi Etteh, lauded President Tinubu for his steadfast leadership, commitment to national development, as well as his dedication to inclusive governance in Nigeria.
Earlier in his welcome address, the National Coordinator of National Forum of Former Legislators, Hon. Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe, called for greater co-operation from State Governments across the country to complement those Federal Government actions towards ensuring that those innovative reforms are sustained.
Harping on he importance of the summit, which has as its theme: “National Unity, Bedrock of Nation Building,” Igbokwe expressed optimism that it will afford the Nigerian Legislators the needed opportunity to rise and evolve an outcomes that further unite the citizens more “and promote the peace, Unity and prosperity of Nigeria”.
In his keynote address, the Convener, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, said the President was committed to running a transparent, fair and inclusive government and urged Nigerians not to leave the task of Nation building to the government alone.
He lamented that while the vision of Tinubu’s administration is clear and destination certain as it mobilises the country and galvanise the ambition, some people out of politics and mischief were determined to turn the eyes of Nigerians away from the progress being recorded by Tinubu.
The Chief of Staff to the President noted that the business of nation-building is a continuous process, urging citizens to be united and rise with a renewed determination “to build a Nigeria where unity is a lived reality”.
He said, “Where our diversity is our greatest strength, and where generations yet unborn will be proud to travel the ends of the earth and declare with confidence, like the Romans of old, that ‘I am a Nigerian’.
“National unity is the sine qua non for national development. Where there is no peace, there cannot be progress. National unity is not the absence of disagreement – disagreements are part of the human condition.
“Therefore, brothers and sisters, citizens and patriots, let us rise from this day with renewed determination to build a Nigeria where unity is
a lived reality, where our diversity is our greatest strength and where generations-yet-unborn will be proud to travel the ends of the earth and
declare with confidence; “I am a Nigerian.”
He also emphasized that President Tinubu’s vision formed the basis for which his administration has set out from day one to introduce the most difficult reforms.
He explained that the “will to execute buttons,” which past leaders refused to activate was just the driver of the reform initiatives which Tinubu is bringing to bear on the nation.
“Today, the Federal Government of Nigeria is no longer paying inflated subsidy claims that benefit only a tiny minority of our citizens. Every Nigerian child today is guaranteed a tertiary education courtesy of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
“With the signing into law of the tax reforms, President Bola Tinubu has ushered in a new era of economic justice, built on fairness,
accountability, and national purpose.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda of
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is anchored on the unassailable belief that while it is not in our power to change the past, it is our obligation to do the hard work today so that our tomorrow can be better than all our yesteryears.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda flows from our President’s belief that yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose. As such, we must build for ourselves and for our children a nation where everyone can succeed by the strength of their endeavours, where optimism is not reserved only for the privileged and powerful and where peace and prosperity are the birthright of all our citizens.
“Fixing the things that have long been broken imposes costs, entails sacrifice and requires time. That is
why under the leadership of our President, this administration has pursued a two-pronged approach of reforms on the one hand and targeted interventions on the other hand to ease the burden of sacrifice on all our citizens.
“These are not the actions of a politician thinking about the next election. They are acts of extraordinary statesmanship by a leader whose highest concern is the fortune of the Nigerian people and the fate of the next generation.”
