The National Coordinator of the Buhari/Osinbajo Support Group, Ebunola Martins has asked the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to give up his 2023 presidential aspiration and support the South-east region.
Martins said this during The Morning Show on Arise TV on Tuesday, October 12.
He insisted that the two major political parties – APC and PDP – should pick a presidential candidate from the South east geo-political zone of the country.
According to him, the same situation occurred in 1999 when the two major political parties as at that time – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Peoples Party (APP) – produced South-west candidates, Olusegun Obasanjo and Olu Falae.
He argued that though he is a Yoruba man, if he is to be fair, it is only natural that the next president should come from the South east.
He said: “Come 2023, number one, we as Yorubas, I cannot betray fellow Yoruba men. I love Yoruba, because I’m first a Yoruba man before I become a Nigerian. So, I believe in the Yoruba people and I believe in our tradition.
“But what I mean is that in this 2023 election, if we want to be fair and we want to talk of zoning, the unwritten zoning because as you know people have said it is not constitutional, I agree with that. It is true, it is not constitutional. Some people have said zoning will not give you the best, I agree.
“But for fear of justice and fair play, that’s why I’m saying that even my big brother, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, if I were him, I will not run for the election, I will encourage my brothers from the East. We are friends, we are the same, and we are from the south. We have had our own shot, South-South has had their own shot, and I will encourage the Easterners to do so.
“This is what I will have done. Even both political parties should bring their candidates from the South-East. Just like we did in 1999 that we brought both Obasanjo and Falae just to give the South-West that comfort, that you are part of us even if the election was annulled (in 1993).
“We don’t hate your region. The two major political parties brought out these people. And, I think that’s what we should do for the Southeasterners. I believe so, even without saying anything, my vote will go to the South-East. It doesn’t matter how we do it, but as a person I believe that we should give them that grace and that opportunity to be able to do that,” Martins added.