The Founder and National coordinator of Asiwaju Progressive Forum (APF), Hon. Adewale Adeogun has said that there would always be crisis in every political party and that political party is about crisis management.
Adeogun stated that APF would do all within it’s powers to ensure that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu becomes the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023.
He also spoke about what is going on in Anambra State, where he said that almost all the parties had multiple primaries.
“Okay, we believe that the issue of primaries ought to have been sorted long ago. But because they are political parties, where people come together, each person will come with his or her interest, you want to out-do me, I won’t allow you out-do me.
“So, there are bound to be crisis. Therefore, what now matters most is crisis management, which the APC as a party is trying to put in place. I believe they would get it right at the end of the day sometime,” he said.
Hon. Adeogun made this known during an interview with the Managing Editor of National Sketch Media, Mr. Kazeem Bakenne.
He pointed out that they might disagree to agree, but that their aim would be achieved at the end of the day.
He stated that if if they had any crisis, and they still gain ground, and supporters, the best thing was to continue having crisis in order to gain more ground and supporters.
“Asiwaju Progressive Forum is a socio cultural and political organization and non-governmental organization.
“It is spread across the 36 states and 774 local governments of the federation.
“Our major aim is to canvass for the aspiration and candidature of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be the president of Nigeria in 2023.
“I believe that he’s got all the requirements to rule the country bearing in mind what he did between 1999 and 2007 when he was the governor of Lagos State.
“Though in Nigerian politics, we have our own way of doing things,” he said.
Hon. Adewale stated that he did not believe that the agitation for Tinubu to become president in 2023 had subsided, as it was rumored in some quarters, saying that many organizations are springing up, and canvassing for the candidature of Bola Tinubu for president.
He said that the issue at hand is probably because the APC had not come out with any clear cut program and agenda on how to pick the candidate for the next general election.
He revealed that he was very sure that very soon when there’s a direction on how the primaries in ward, local, states and national convention would be done, things would be very much clear.
The founder of APF said that he believed that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed still enjoys mutual respect, understanding and cooperation among the leaders, but that there were cabals within the party, who he said were against his aspirations.
“But I can tell you categorically that the followership of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu continues to grow each day, because politics it’s a game of number.
“Tinubu has continued to gain momentous ground, and followership on a daily basis in the Nigerian political terrain, be it in the South-South, South-East, North-East, North-Central and so on, not to talk of the South-West, where he has almost captured every nook and cranny of the area.
“So, I don’t agree with that notion that he does not enjoy the mutual cooperation of the leadership of the APC.
“The recent statement of Mr. President was not directed at Asiwaju. The President directed the statement to the people in the studio, saying that they could not sit down in the studio to decide what’s happening in Abuja.
“So, the statement was not directed at Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,” he said.
Adeogun, while answering questions on whether the party would accord him the opportunity to vie for the presidential office said that the party would wait to see other people that are interested in the position.
“Today, nobody is saying it must be Asiwaju at all cost. Everybody has equal right to contest.
“The presidency is in the north presently, we believe that after the north, it should be zoned to the south. We equally believe that South-South, South-East and South-West have equal right and chances to canvass and ask for the presidency in 2023.
“We in the southwest picked Asiwaju as our own choice. Therefore, anybody could come from the South-South, South-East with their choice.
“When the chips are down, it’s the people that decide will that this is the person that we want.
“When it comes to the national convention of the party, then, everyone of them would be placed before the people to decide their fate.
“But as far as we are concerned, the person that could rule this country noe is Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,” he said.
Speaking on how they were able to coordinate all Asiwaju supporters group, Adeogun said that all those that are agitating for Bola Tinubu are politicians, and that they network within themselves.
He stated that they have members in the north, south, and that they coordinate themselves, mainly on social media, and sometimes physically to deliberate on how to go about their mission to ensure that Bola Ahmed Tinubu becomes the president of Nigeria in 2023.
“We have our structures all across the nation. Asiwaju Progressive Forum is not the only supporter’s group agitating for his presidency come 2023. There are several organizations campaigning for him scattered all around the nation.
“We have some that are based in thd North East, some are based in thd South-South, and some are in the North Central.
“What we know is that by the time we put all these structures together, we will be very strong,” he said.
Speaking further about Asiwaju Progressive Forum, he said that it was formed in the year 2018, when they discovered that President Muhammadu Buhari would vie for second term in office.
Adeogun revealed that Asiwaju himself told them that they should allow the presidency to remain in the north, and allow President Buhari to spend one more term in office, saying that it was what the constitution allowed.
“We formed Ambassadors for the group that actually campaigned for President Muhammadu Buhari, then, I was Lagos State coordinator for the Ambassador, we were the ones that contributed money to buy nomination form for President Buhari in 2019.
“We have been able to do our bit for the northern part of Nigeria by rallying round president Buhari to go for second term as president of Nigeria.
“President Muhammadu Buhari alone could not decide who becomes the flagbearer of the party.
“It’s going to be a joint effort which will culminate in wards, local governments, states, and convention at the national level, where people would vote for the candidate of their choice, to become the flagbearer of the party.
“Asiwaju Tinubu is somebody who has built more leaders than followers,” he said.
