At a packed stadium, All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday announced the resolution of the progressives to support continuity of good governance.
“There is no going back in the resolve to return President Muhammadu Buhari for another term in office,” the former Lagos State governor said.
It was at the inauguration of Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola and Benedict Olugboyega Alabi as Osun State governor and deputy governor.
The colourful ceremony, attended by many dignitaries and ordinary folks, took place at the Osogbo Township Stadium in the state capital.
Tinubu said Nigerians could not afford to go back to the “scavengers, who personalised governance because of their greed”.
To the APC stalwart, there should be enough of greed and self-serving government that “has held back our progress as a nation”.
He stressed that there was nothing to show for the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in power.
He said the PDP only laid the foundation for “greed” and “selfishness”.
His words: “Nigeria must never be allowed to go back to the corruption, greed and selfishness that have held back our progress. No shaking and no going back to the old foxes, old scavengers and old greed of this country. Look back at their years in government and find out if they laid any good foundation. They didn’t, except the personalisation theory of greed.”
Tinubu, who was elated by the inauguration of the new government in Osun State, congratulated the former governor, Rauf Aregbesola, for handing over power to a progressive administration.
He said: “I congratulate you, Aregbesola, for handing over power to a progressive. Now you have joined me in the club of former governors. You have really done very well. You have run progressive and welfarist programmes. I commend you for your performance in the two terms you have spent as governor.
“You have done very well. Since eight years, which is like yesterday. You earned a progressive mandate and did it for four years and renewed it for another four years. It was a welfarist and progressive programmes now handed over to another progressive governor. Thank you for walking the path and doing a good job.”
Tinubu, who congratulated Oyetola and Alabi, assured them that the administration would be supported by progressives in all parts of Nigeria.
According to him, Oyetola’s emergence as governor is a continuation and testament of APC’s progressive ideology of governance started four years ago by President Buhari.
He urged the new governor to follow the path that will engender progressive development, put smiles on people’s faces and take the country to higher heights.
The former governor said: “We want you to maintain the same path of progress. We are strongly behind you. Ride on, no going back. There is no any other party here in the Southwest.”
President Muhammadu Buhari, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, said the inauguration marked a peaceful transition from one administration to another.
President, who commended the former governor for steering the ship of the state successfully for eight years and handing over power to an APC administration, thanked the people of Osun for conducting themselves peacefully during and after the governorship elections.
Buhari advised politicians in the 2019 general elections to make their campaigns focus on programmes and agenda capable of emancipating the people from hardship.
He called on Oyetola to centre his administration around the welfare of the people of the state, especially women and youths, to make life meaningful to them.
He said: “Public office is a trust. You must rule with a human face and the fear of God. You must ensure that all the ongoing projects are completed.”
He assured the new governor of all the necessary support that would help him succeed.
Buhari also called on Nigerians to vote for the APC in the 2019 general elections.
He urged them to conduct themselves peacefully – in a manner devoid of bitterness and violence, shunning hate speech and violence during the campaigns.
He praised the Aregbesola for bringing “immense developments” to the state in the last eight years.
He assured that the APC-led administration would continue to deliver the democracy dividends to the people.
Among the dignitaries at the event were Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Gen. Alani Aknirinade, Aregbesola’s wife, Sherifat and his former deputy Mrs. Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori.
There were Governors Akinwumi Ambode (Lagos), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano).
Former Ogun State Governor Aremo Olusegun Osoba, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and Osun State Chief Judge, Justice Adepele Ojo were there.
Others were the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, former Osun State Governor Chief Bisi Akande, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Olabomi, the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi, the Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oba Dokun Abolarin, former House of Representatives Speaker Patricia Olubunmi Etteh, Osun state speaker of the State House of Assembly, Najeem Salaam, former state speaker, Adejare Bello, APC women leader, Chief Mrs Kemi Nelson, Senator Ayo Fasanmi, Senator Solomon Adeola , former Lagos deputy governor, Femi Pedro, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Senator Sola Adeyeye.
