Ganduje joins Tinubu in visit to Cross River APC delegates

Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje was on the delegation of National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as he visited Cross River State to meet with party delegates ahead of the presidential primary election.

Tinubu was received in Cross River by Governor Ben Ayade, who described the former Lagos State governor as a trans-generational leader and political strategist.

According to him, Tinubu has the capacity, experience and exposure to lead the country. 

Ayade further said Tinubu was a cornerstone of the APC’s success and a man who propelled the APC to power in 2015.

He said he has a long standing excellent relationship with Asíwájú, pointing out that each time he sought his advice on issues, he always got it.

“Thank you for your insensitivity to party affiliation, to age difference, to religion and to ethnicity,” he added.

The Cross River governor also joined his voice to the agitations for the South to produce the next president after President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years in office.

He said the idea of zoning came about to ensure an egalitarian and equitable power sharing in the country.

“Zoning is a provision of our constitution to ensure balancing. It should not be about ethnic or regional domination, but balancing. It’s the turn of Southern Nigeria in 2023,” he said.

Governor Ayade said the country was in dire need of change and a new way of doing things, arguing that with Nigeria’s potential “as around Number 7 in the world in terms of oil and gas deposit, it is regrettable that the country is still importing petrol to meet its local demand.”

Tinubu had told Governor Ayade who is also contesting for president that there was no collision in their desires. “Mine is to respect you as you respect me.

“I appeal to you as your senior brother and the first to declare his intention, not to endorse me today but when you get to Abuja, you can endorse me fully.

“We must have that unity of purpose. We must work together not only for the unity and economic development of Cross Rivers, but also of the country. We owe that to the present and future generations,” he said.

Asiwaju Tinubu promised to work with the state for the full development of Calabar Port if elected president.

Also on Tinubu’s entourage were former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Tanko Al-Makura; former governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima; former Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba; Presidential Aide, Mallam Yau Darazo, and Chairman of TETFUND, Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, among others.

The APC leader had also earlier visited Obong of Calabar, His Royal Highness, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V, who described him as a “great former Lagos governor, a great power-broker and a great leader of APC.”