By Oluwafemi Popoola
A non-governmental organization, the Legacy Transformation Initiative (LTI), has appealed to the All Progressives Congress (APC) delegates to adopt or vote for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, as their consensus candidate in the May 29, 2022 party’s presidential primary election.
The Coordinator of the pressure group made this known on Tuesday, 24th May 2022, in a press conference in Abuja.
The organization which consists of a group of intellectuals, professionals, politicians, businessmen/women and entrepreneurs has its members drawn across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria.
In a press release titled “A Clarion Plea To Fellow Patriots And APC National Delegates For Indeed ‘It Is Time’ To Vote Or Adopt Professor Yemi Osinbajo As A Consensus Candidate,” the group stated that Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, is best suited for the job after having undergone “a tedious and rigorous process” of vetting all the APC presidential aspirants.
The statements read in parts: “It is imperative to state that in the course of our functions, we have been able to interrogate the profile of the various individuals jostling to be APC presidential candidate through this process of intellection over months of rigorous review, in-depth research and study on the qualities, capacities, capabilities of these aspirants from available public records on them.
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“While it has been a tedious, rigorous process and challenging task, one factor that has remained central to the empirical and peer review processes we engaged is that all the aspirants we have x-rayed in the APC are eminently qualified to vie for the exalted office of the Presidency of our dear country, Nigeria. However, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, stands out. He emerged as the most suitable, experienced and capable to be entrusted with the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
“We noted, however, that these same set of qualities that singled him out are the same set of qualities that the Nigerian electorates will be looking out for in the general election; as well as sustain the APC as the darling party of choice in the 2023 elections. Interestingly, outcomes of our findings were further reinforced by a recent nationwide survey conducted by Intellectual Forum on Politics on Governance (IFP&G) that Professor Yomi Osibajo was adjudged the citizen’s choice for the next president.”
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“It is important to emphasize to our dear delegates and APC leaders that each election cycle comes with different challenges that may manifest in the nation’s economics; a peculiar global challenge; an emergent security challenge(s); some social or environmental issue; or all of these at the same time. Accordingly, as expected each of these challenges demands a person with a robust understanding of the call to a higher duty, responsibility, intellectual experience and physical ability to address them, as well as, appealing for the understanding of the delegates/party leaders in the exercise of their discretion cum patriotism to our dear country.”
Full text of the press statement published below:
A CLARION PLEA TO FELLOW PATRIOTS AND APC NATIONAL DELEGATES FOR INDEED “IT IS TIME” TO VOTE OR ADOPT PROFESSOR YEMI OSINBAJO AS A CONSENSUS CANDIDATE
Protocols
Good afternoon, gentlemen of the press and fellow Nigerians.
We are members of the incorporated trustee, Legacy Transformation Initiative (LTI), by a way of introduction.
We are an eclectic group of intellectuals, professionals, politicians, businessmen/women and entrepreneurs drawn across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria. We are essentially a pressure group and a policy formulation and ideation hub, a place where policies and policy prescriptions of governments across sectors are x-rayed and debated altruistically to produce the best positions of government policies- devoid of the frills of politics.
We called this press conference in the annals of our history as patriotic citizens to inform Nigerians of our activities as a non-governmental organization and a passionate appeal to the conscience of our fellow patriots i.e. the APC’s national delegates.
Dear distinguished delegates, history beckons and “It is Time” to be part of it by unanimously adopting Professor Yemi Osinbajo as your Consensus Choice before the convention or unanimously vote for him as the Presidential Candidate of the APC in the party primaries given his proven capacity to lead; especially in this challenging time, we find ourselves as a nation.
It is imperative to state that in the course of our functions, we have been able to interrogate the profile of the various individuals jostling to be APC presidential candidates through this process of intellection over months of rigorous review, in-depth research and study on the qualities, capacities, capabilities of these aspirants from available public records on them.
While it has been a tedious, rigorous process and challenging task, one factor that has remained central to the empirical and peer review processes we engaged is that all the aspirants we have x-rayed in the APC are eminently qualified to vie for the exalted office of the Presidency of our dear country, Nigeria. However, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, stands out. He emerged as the most suitable, experienced and capable to be entrusted with the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
These are not emotional facts as we did not deploy nor adhere to the usual repetitions of electoral mantras of aspirants or candidates that are mostly at variance with their notorious and ubiquitous public records. Our conclusions are drawn from empirical facts that clearly suggested he is best suited for the job by peer review of a set of identified qualities and credentials of each of the aspirants that have offered themselves so far. Thus, we allocated points by comparing the electable and endearing quotients of each to that of Professor Osinbajo and came to the unassailable conclusion that he is the most qualified of the entire lot.
We noted, however, that these same set of qualities that singled him out are the same set of qualities that the Nigerian electorates will be looking out for in the general election; as well as sustain the APC as the darling party of choice in the 2023 elections. Interestingly, the outcomes of our findings were further reinforced by a recent nationwide survey conducted by Intellectual Forum on Politics on Governance (IFP&G) that Professor Yemi Osinbajo was adjudged the citizen’s choice for the next president.
It is important to emphasize to our dear delegates and APC leaders that each election cycle comes with different challenges that may manifest in the nation’s economics; a peculiar global challenge; an emergent security challenge(s); some social or environmental issue; or all of these at the same time. Accordingly, as expected each of these challenges demands a person with a robust understanding of the call to a higher duty, responsibility, intellectual experience and physical ability to address them, as well as, appealing for the understanding of the delegates/party leaders in the exercise of their discretion cum patriotism to our dear country.
Most importantly, in this particular election cycle, the APC delegates have been reposed with the highest public trust at this juncture of our national life to rise above the usual monetary enticement, allurement and deferred gratification that have manifestly stagnated our growth as a nation. They are, therefore, called upon, at least for once, to rightfully and correspondingly acknowledge the inherent qualities of PYO as the aspirant that can address the intractable challenges we are facing as a nation.
In conclusion: From the outstanding records and the collective experience of Prof Yemi Osinbajo, who has actively participated at the apex of both the private sector and the public sector; with notable and measurable impacts that bestride these positions and remarkably, devoid of the stigma of corruption that hovers like a halo over public officers. Definitely, undoubtedly we are convinced if chosen as the candidate of APC that he can defeat any candidate in the general elections.
Dear Patriotic Delegates of the APC, it is time once again to take a look at the PYO Manifesto which we believe aptly captures our collective aspirations as a people and a nation as stated in his declaration speech; our amiable PYO promised to address the following issues as a matter of priority, we trust him, given his proven experience, capacity and capability to deliver:
a) Job creation.
b) b) Strengthening the cohesion between the States and Local Governments.
c) Provision of a good health care system to the masses.
d) Agricultural revolution.
e) Excellent Business environment.
f) Education reform.
g) Creating a sustainable Technology/ Digital Economy.
h) Poverty Alleviation.
i) Justice reform.
j) Improvement of the security Architecture.
We, therefore, implore all the APC delegates to review all the assertions contained here on the candidacy of Prof Yemi Osinbajo and objectively compare them with the other candidates and make the right choice by voting or adopting him as the consensus candidate of the APC.
A vote for him or his adoption will be the highest form of patriotism expected of any citizen of this country. History will be kind to you and your generation for rising above the usual primordial sentiments that have been a common feature of our electioneering process and which have bedevilled our political/economic landscape to make the right choice.
Thank you all for your attention.
Co-ordinator,
Legacy Transformation Initiative
