Supporters of former President Goodluck Jonathan, who are members of the Citizens Network for Peace and Development in Nigeria, CNPDN, have commenced mobilization for All Progressives Congress, APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
The political group flagged off campaigns in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, saying that the next president of Nigeria must emerge from the Southern part of the country.
The supporters had in November endorsed Tinubu and commenced grassroots mobilisation in the South East and South South geopolitical zones of the country.
The national secretary of the coalition, Mr Francis Okereke Wainwei, in a statement, said they unanimously resolved to support and vote for Tinubu in the forthcoming presidential election in 2023.
Wainwei disclosed that they were against the idea of having another northerner to replace the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) after eight years.
Wainwei, whose group made a cash donation of N1 million to support Tinubu’s campaign in the two geopolitical zones, vowed to do everything to ensure the next president emerged from the South.
He said, “In the same vein, our position that the next president of this country should come from the south is driven by same vision and principles,” he added, saying there would be a better sense of belonging for the southern people.
“We are, therefore, calling on the South South governors who have betrayed their people by supporting another northern candidate to take over from Buhari after eight years of a president from the North, to resign immediately.
“This is because the people of the South South zone can no longer trust them with their common heritage as they have placed their personal interests above the collective interest of their people. Our call on them to resign is also premised on the fact that they recently received huge sums of money via the 13% derivation fund and squandered the same in pursuit of their personal interests at the expense of their people,” Wanwein articulated.
