A political pressure group, the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Grassroots Volunteers (BAT-GV), on Saturday staged a walk in commemoration of the 69th birthday of Bola Tinubu, APC national leader.
The walk, which took off from Awolowo Road, Falomo in Ikoyi, ended at Bourdillon house of Tinubu, also a former Lagos State governor.
The group dropped an endorsement letter for Tinubu to contest 2023 Presidential election.
Mr Dozie Nwankodu, BAT-GV National Coordinator, said that the event, tagged “Bola Ahmed Tinubu Novelty Walk for Good Governance and National Development’’, was in appreciation of Tinubu’s leadership style and achievements in his state and the country over the years.
Nwankodu said that the walk brought members of the group from across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
“We are embarking on a project tagged “the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Novelty Walk for Good Governance and National Development” in commemoration of his birthday that is going to come up in less than 48 hours from now.
“The high points of our novelty walk is the presentation of letter of endorsement as well as the certificate of endorsement for Tinubu to contest for 2023 presidency.
“So, some of our members across the 36 states of the federation and FCT are converging in Lagos to walk from Falomo down to his residence in solidarity with him,” he said.
Nwankodu said that though an average of 100 volunteers were participating in the walk due to COVID- 19 protocol that banned large gathering, the group had about three million membership across the federation.
According to him, Tinubu exemplifies maximum ideas and achievements that have contributed to the overall good governance and development of Nigeria.
“Therefore, it is payback time for him by Nigerians with the Office of the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We joyfully march to Bourdillon, with solidarity songs and praises for our leader, and Nigeria’s next President,” Nwankodu said.
Also, the Deputy National Coordinator of the group, Adaramola Richard, urged Nigerians to rally around Tinubu in order to consolidate on the gains of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Richard, who said that the group had been mobilising men and women across the federation for Tinubu, added that they would prevail on him to run for the office of President in 2023.
He said: “We have looked at his achievements over the years. He is the only governor since 1999 that is still relevant till today.
“We are mobilising support for Tinubu and ready to purchase the Expression of Interest Form for Tinubu anytime APC throws the gate open for interested aspirants to purchase Presidential Forms,’’ he said.
Mr Matthew Oluwalambe, another official, said that Tinubu had done a lot in the development of the country and people, especially young people.
“What we want to achieve is good governance in Nigeria and from Tinubu, we have confidence. We discovered that this is a man that loves Nigeria so much.
“Now, is the right time for him to come out and lead this country as the president,” Oluwalambe said.
Also speaking, Mr Akanni Shonde, the Lagos State Coordinator of group, said that the group had volunteered to mobilise for Tinubu because it knew that the former governor remained the right person to fix the nation and take it to higher heights.
The group presented a gift after the walk that was accompanied by pageantry, music and dancing for Tinubu, whose birthday comes up on March 29.
