2023: George, Ogunlewe clash over Tinubu

Former minister of Works, Adeseye Ogunlewe, has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to zone the 2023 presidency to the South West while claiming only former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu can lead the party to victory.

Speaking on Arise News, Ogunlewe claimed that not even Vice President Yemi Osinbaji, Minister of Power, Babatunde Fashola and Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State can defeat Tinubu in any political contest because.

“My personal prayer is that the presidency should be zoned to the South West because we have the capacity to manage the economy of Nigeria properly and there is no other person that I can support other than the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu. Politics is an investment. You have to invest your time, money and knowledge before people can listen to you and that is what he has done.

“We have people who have followed politics for a while, Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar are such persons. They have the mental capacity and structure to get things done in their favour, so anyone that wants to compete with him should start early because he would outmanoeuvre you and win. You have to be grounded in the politics of Nigeria to survive. It is very difficult and almost impossible to upstage APC in Lagos State

“If you know the history of Lagos State, you will agree that Yemi Osinbajo, Babatunde Fashola, Kayode Fayemi are all members of the same political family and the father of that family is Tinubu. Whatever he says, all of them will crumble. Who can face him one-on-one? He made them and he will tell them how he has been able to raise them and they will sit down and say, ‘Leader, have the first shot, but if you fail, consider me,”’ Ogunlewe said.

But reacting, Olabode George, former national vice chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for South West, said if the former Lagos governor emerges president, he would renounce his citizenship.

He accused the APC leader of not performing during his tenure as governor.

“Ogunlewe was talking about Tinubu emerging president, someone who is the greatest headache of politics in Nigeria today? How can one single man acquire billions every 30 days? It does not make sense. It is a shame that no one has done anything about it.

“Ogunlewe had in the past made very vicious comments against Tinubu but because he is now with them, he is praising him. Why can’t people be consistent? Why are you dancing like a masquerade in the market square? If we put the eight years he spent as governor on a scale, how would we judge him? I am ready to debate with Ogunlewe even in the graveyard. He is talking absolute nonsense.  I will do whatever is necessary to review and renounce my citizenship if that kind of fellow becomes President. Is Lagos better off? Look at the traffic, the drainage system anytime it rains.”