The Chairman of The Progressive Project (TPP) and Senator representing Kano South, Senator Kabiru Gaya has expressed confidence in Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s candidacy.
Gaya, while addressing a press conference in Abuja, stated that unlike the moneybags, Osinbajo’s popularity would facilitate the pooling of his supporters’ token donations to raise the N100 million nomination fees for his presidential bid with ease.
He said that consultations by members of various support groups, eminent political leaders, and citizens, too numerous to mention, culminated in his decision to lead the Osinbajo supporters’ group.
The Senator noted that for the vice president, the race was not about personal ambition, but a positive response to a popular call from a citizen-driven mobilisation that began without input from him or his office.
The lawmaker stressed that people from other parties and even millions of non-partisan citizens, who did not belong to any political party, had strong interest and involvement with the campaign for Osinbajo’s candidature.
Gaya stressed that his specific assignment here was to lead a process of recalibration of all pro-Osinbajo forces towards electoral victory on the platform of APC. He said without doubt, all knowledgeable people in the country could attest to the qualities and competence of Osinbajo.
The Senator noted that his chosen method redefined presidential declarations in Nigeria, saying that the vice president clearly signalled that noble citizens had no need to descend into gutters. No touts were hired by anyone and his message effectively reverberated across the entire country and the Diaspora.
According to Gaya, “even an internal issue of the price of our party’s nomination form is being deliberately misinterpreted in some circles, when we feel confident that, unlike moneybags, our truly populist candidate is popular enough to pool supporters’ token donations and raise such money with ease.
“Just one youth group with TPP, the Progressive Group alone, says that they can raise N100 million with rough voluntary contributions of N10, 000 each by 10, 000 of their supporters, who are keen about seeing a better future.
“Our populist mathematics is flawless and very strong; moneybags within or outside APC will only lose their dollars in any contest against the people’s will.”
Furthermore, Gaya said, unlike other political parties, records show that neither the APC presidential ticket nor its vice president’s slot had ever been won by throwing money around, but by populist endorsements from the north and south.
He said the TPP noted the fear of the people’s genuine power had made some elements to resort to heightened propaganda in the past few days.
Gaya added, “We will not descend low to play gutter politics and we have continued to warn our supporters against involvement in insults and vilification. We are democrats, we believe in uniting people and in submitting ourselves and competing ideas to the people’s evaluation and decisions through the ballot box.”
The APC chieftain emphasised that the popular forces behind Osinbajo feared no foe and hated no one, saying that they are focused without compromise on the unity, progress and development of Nigeria and would not descend into gutter fights with any person or group
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