Vice-Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kashim Shettima, yesterday, told one of the Hausa communities in Lagos that it was payback time for the good they had enjoyed under the Bola Tinubu leadership in the state and to the north in general.
Shettima, who visited the Hausa community in Alaba-Rago, Lagos, alongside Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and their Kano State counterpart, Abdullahi Ganduje, told the people to vote for the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the 2023 election was the time for the north to pay Tinubu back for his past support to the north.
Shettima, who also had on his team, the Lagos APC Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, and all Arewa leaders in the state, said Tinubu made President Muhammadu Buhari President in 2015 by giving him Bloc votes from the South West, a feat he repeated in 2019.
He also added that Tinubu provided the platform for Atiku to contest presidential election, when Atiku was chased out of PDP, same thing he did for Nuhu Ribadu.
“We are people of honour, we should honour our pledge and promise. This is payback time for the north to support Tinubu,” Shettima said.
Ganduje said as far as the north was concerned, “the issue of Tinubu is concluded. Kano State wants votes from you for Tinubu. You have to promise us you will surpass Kano in your votes for Tinubu.”
He posited that, Tinubu appointed non-Yoruba Indigenes into government, when he was governor, describing him as “a real nationalist.”
On his part, Sanwo-Olu urged the Hausa community “not to be deceived” and should vote for APC in the presidential and governorship elections.
He said the meeting was part of consultation on his political discussions with non-indigene groups residing in the state, thanking the Hausa-Fulani community for supporting the efforts of his administration to scale up infrastructure and amenities in the LCDA.
Sanwo-Olu told the gathering that the Arewa community’s continued cooperation and support remained vital to keep APC on the winning track in Lagos and ensure the party’s candidates across board were successful in the general election.
The Governor reiterated his commitment to complete all ongoing projects in the area and initiate new ones.
“I’m happy to join you today in furtherance of our consultation on the future of our state. I thank you for the peace and tranquility enjoyed among all non-indigene groups in this part of Lagos. We can only achieve our development goals, when we stay united and work together. Iba LCDA has not been left out in our development programme.
“You have seen the good work we are doing in Iba and the infrastructure projects we are delivering in this area. We will be completing the Lagos-Badagry highway soon. The stretch towards Okokomaiko is the final work, which will be completed by the end of the year. The General Hospital we are currently building in Iba will also be completed. We will move inside Ojo and take up Kemberi-Afromedia Road,” he said.
