Chairman, Lagos State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker Committee, Tunde Balogun, and factional Chairman of the party, Fouad Oki, have declined comment on the alleged endorsement of National Leader of the party, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2023 presidential election by the incumbent and former speakers of Southwest zone.
Speaking separately with The Guardian yesterday, Balogun and Oki, who responded to questions whether the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, got the party’s approval to mobilise incumbent and former speakers in the zone to support Tinubu’s presidential aspiration for 2023, said they had no comments.
Their opinions were sought following the denial of former speakers of Ekiti and Ondo States on the endorsement of Tinubu for the 2023 presidential election.
The Guardian recalled that some incumbent and former speakers of Houses of Assembly in the Southwest region met last Wednesday in Ibadan, Oyo State to canvass support for Tinubu’s 2023 presidential ambition at the behest of Obasa, who reportedly convened the meeting.
But refuting the claim, former speakers of Ondo State House of Assembly: Victor Olabimtan, Oluwasegunota Bolarinwa, Ayo Agbomuserin, Abdusalam Olawale Taofeeq, Kenneth Olawale, and a former Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Patrick Ajigbolamu, denied endorsing Tinubu.
Balogun said: “I will speak on the matter when the time comes. You can call Obasa to get his opinion but as for me, I don’t want to talk.”
Oki also refused to comment on the matter, saying it was too early to talk about a process that was yet to commence, adding: “I cannot celebrate what is not.”
Efforts to contact Obasa for his comments on the development did not yield results.
