If Not For Tinubu, Nigeria Would Have Become One-Party State - Keyamo Says

The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate spokesman Festus Keyamo had said that Nigeria owes the sustenance of the present multiparty democracy to the doggedness and integrity of the presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He noted that it took the forthrightness of Tinubu to stand against the deft moves by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to turn the country into a one-party state in 2003.

Keyamo made this declaration in Abuja on Tuesday during the unveiling of a new support group, The Progressives Forum (TPF) that transformed from the All Progressives Youth Forum (APYF).

According to the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity: “Without Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, we will not have a multiparty democracy today. That’s the truth! He has earned it. If you are wise enough 2003, that was a turning point in Nigeria’s democracy. The
PDP wiped out all the people and states in both the South and North.

“But Asiwaju fought back and kept Lagos. Although they nearly entered Lagos, he fought fiercely to recover it. At that point, they came to him and said, ‘Oya, Asiwaju come to PDP so that you won’t have problems in 2007.

“It takes a strength of character and conviction to say ‘No, I won’t join the ruling party.’ From Lagos, he started to fight back before he stretched his hands over the Niger and today, we have General Buhari in power.

“That is why we have a multiparty democracy today.

If not, this country would have ended up as a one-party state. I usually say it. You may not want to vote for him but give him his credit. Without that man standing today, we would have only a party called the PDP. That’s the truth.

“It takes the strength of character. But look at all the other candidates, just one small problem, they will jump. They have been jumping from one party to the other.”

The founder of The Progressives Forum (PTF), Barrister Ismaeel Ahmed said the objective of the forum was to take part and take charge. He expressed satisfaction that in the last 7 years, members of the group have taken elective and appointive positions.

He said: “Our mission is to take our destiny into our hands. We want to anchor the pool for professionals to take charge of policy-making and running the party structures. We want to bring our expertise and training to bear on the party structures and governance. We will be pushing for cabinet positions for our members and everybody involved in progressive ideology.”