The South-East Destiny Movement for Bola Ahmed Tinubu 2023 has joined the call for a former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, to join the 2023 presidential race.
Addressing journalists in Awka on Thursday, the Convener, SDMBAT, Chief Ekene Enefe, described the All Progressives Congress leader as a good man, who deserved to be encouraged to make things happen positively for Nigeria.
Enefe said the group had assessed the value that Tinubu had brought to Nigerian politics as well as the economic and infrastructural foundation laid in Lagos State, and most importantly, the human capital he built during and after his reign as governor of the state.
He described Tinubu as one of the most detribalised Nigerians, who, as governor, had appointees from every part of the country.
He said, “BAT (Tinubu) is one man that believes in merit; if you have the competence he is looking for, he engages you; that is the kind of man Nigeria needs now. We are supporting him because what Nigeria needs in a president is capacity, competence and national acceptability.”
According to him, the country does not need ethnic champions.
Enefe stated, “What we need in Nigeria is a good leader, who is informed and who can harness and allocate the resources of this country equitably.
“We cannot continue to advocate for a president based on ethnicity. There was a time when people from the South-East occupied good positions in government, but it did not translate into improved infrastructure in the region.
“As a matter of fact, some of the champions of the president from South-East extraction are doing it for selfish reasons. How have they used their former opportunities to better the lots of the people in their immediate environment?”
Enefe said the SDMBAT was largely made up of youths, who were desirous of national cohesion and progress with a presence at the grassroots in the South-East region.
“We are in touch with every community in the South-East; we have been existing and decided to provide our platform for BAT, because he represents a better opportunity for the APC and better leadership for Nigeria, because of his proven experience,” he added