2023:Why Tinubu may not get Northern votes – APC forum

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, leaders and members of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) under the aegis of the North Central APC Forum has called on the party’s presidential flagbearer, Bola Tinubu, to restrategise his political calculation.

The group said Tinubu was mistaking the entire Nigeria for Lagos, adding that he was being ill-advised by a few individuals and that he doesn’t appear to understand the North.

This was disclosed by Chairman of the Forum, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, while speaking with journalists in Jos, the Plateau State Capital.

He said Tinubu was still mistaking Nigeria as a whole with Lagos State and parts of the South-West where he has much influence.

Zazzaga said what Tinubu does not understand is that the North, particularly, believes in anyone who believes in the region and the nation at large and when they make up their mind to support, they do so wholeheartedly.

“From the way Tinubu is doing, he is yet to fully understand the entire nation, especially the North, and that is why he is still taking advice from few persons rather than expanding his outreach and knowledge of the nation.

“And that is why the likes of former President Olusegun Obasanjo is still seen as very intelligent when it comes to understanding all parts of the country.

“So, if Tinubu is mistaking the entire nation for Lagos State or Southwest, then he could be in for a surprise come 2023. Nigeria is bigger than that, and besides with the current challenges the nation is faced with, he needs to think outside the Lagos or Southwest region to show that he has a national solution to the nation’s problems.

“Hence, for Tinubu to be campaigning with his achievements in Lagos as a governor cannot fit in at this moment, because he is only talking about a State and not the nation at large. So, we urge him to expand his scope and national view.

“Besides, there are things which some of the leaders around him need to tell him. We who are dealing with the grassroots, particularly in the North, hear lots of things and always try to call him out to adjust but he is not. It may therefore be difficult to convince many people in the North.

“For instance, this year we have held press conferences calling on Tinubu to apologize to Nigerians over his comments years back that he does not believe in one Nigeria.

“Again we have tried to caution him from some comments that he is ready to fight dirty with anyone in his quest to become the President of the country in 2023. And then there is the issue where he is saying this time it is his turn to rule.

“But he obviously is yet to understand that all those things have registered in people’s minds and much needs to be done to erase it,” he said.

He reiterated that they will work for the success of the party come 2023 but will need to address some issues so that their work in canvassing votes for the party will also be made easier.