President Muhammadu Buhari will kick-start his re-election campaign in the Southwest from Ibadan, Oyo State capital, on Saturday, where he will address All Progressives Congress enthusiasts and supporters at the historic Mapo Hall.
The spokesman of Oyo APC 2019 campaign Organisation, Dr. Azeez Olatunde, disclosed this through a statement issued in Ibadan, on Friday.
Olatunde said that the President would use the opportunity to interact with stakeholders, including traditional institution, leaders of religious bodies, community leaders, members of the organized. private sector, market men and women and youth groups.
He called on APC members and supporters of President Buhari across the political parties divide to turn out in large numbers and give the President a rousing welcome that would give a hint of the votes he would garner on February 16.
Olatunde said, “I’m urging the APC members and loyalists to troop out in their thousands to demonstrate our love and affection for President Muhammadu Buhari, who has done a lot for the entire Yoruba race since he mounted the saddle.
“It is another opportunity to show the opposition political parties that Oyo State and indeed the entire Southwest is for APC and by extension for Buhari; a president who has done for the Southwest what a Yoruba man deliberately ignored for eight years.
“Oyo gave Buhari the second highest vote in the whole of the Southern region in 2015, outside Lagos State. In Oyo, Buhari defeated the Peoples Democratic Party by 528, 620 votes to 303, 376. But, if we look at it proportionately, we can even say Oyo gave the highest vote in the entire South.
“That is if we compare the 5.8m registered voters in Lagos State to Oyo State’s the 2.4m registered voters in 2015 and juxtapose it with 792,460 to 528,620 votes recorded respectively by both states we can say Oyo was number one. We set the pace.
“But, this time around the good people of Oyo State, which now has 2.9m registered voters will triple the 2015 figures by ensuring that President Buhari gets at least 1.5m votes. Oyo State residents are enlightened enough to choose performance over mediocrity.
“We are major beneficiaries of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway ongoing construction, the light rail project nearing completion, Trader Moni scheme, N-Power scheme that has provided succour for many of our graduates, homegrown school feeding programme, among others.”
Azeez added that APC and Buhari had earned the confidence and support of the people of the country for a second term judging by the massive infrastructural renewal, improved security, diversification of the economy and the significant arrest of corruption and national drift.
He said that the President would depart Ibadan for Osogbo, on Saturday, in continuation of his campaign.
