By Lukman Olabiyi
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, artisans and technicians across Nigeria have promised to deliver 5.3millions votes to the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima in next year’s presidential poll.
The promise was made by thousands of artisans and technicians from the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, who coverage on the nation’s capital at the weekend during the inauguration of National and Zonal Directorates of Artisans and Technicians and the launching of Operation 30:30 for Tinubu-Shettima 2023 by the APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC).
The Operation 30:30 for Tinubu/Shettima 2023 is a strategic voting pattern adopted by Nigerian artisans and technicians for the 2023 presidential election towards the victory of the APC presidential candidate at the poll.
Speaking during the event, which was attended by thousands of artisans and technicians from different sectors across the country, the National Co-Director and North-West Zonal Director, Directorate of Artisans and Technicians of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Rt. Hon. Sanusi Rikiji, said they will mobilise all their members to deliver 5.3million votes for Tinubu and Shettima in next year’s presidential poll.
Rikiji, a former Speaker of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, said the launching of the National and Zonal Directorates of Artisans and Technicians of the APC Presidential Campaign Council was the first in the country’s democratic history.
He said this was so because for the first time, artisans and technicians were noticed by a political party and a whole directorate was created to bring them together from across the country by the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Rikiji added that this meant that Tinubu in his zeal to develop the country’s economy, realised that the starting point of developing economy, increasing productivity and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was with technicians and artisans.
Speaking on why artisans and technicians are supporting the APC presidential candidate, Rikiji, described Asiwaju Tinubu as a man endowed with natural talent and initiative, adding that he (Tinubu) knew that developing artisans and technicians would increase employment and address issues of insecurity in the country.
Also speaking, the National Director, Artisans and Technicians, APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Mr. Adeshina Akinyemi, said the event was to enlighten and create awearness in the minds of artisans in the country that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the APC 2023 presidential candidate is the best of all the presidential candidates.
“We are here to enlighten them that the next president of Nigeria to be voted for in February 2023 is Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
“There were currently 7.5 million registered artisans across the country. We know we can’t have 100 per cent of the number, but as artisans, we are going to deliver about 5.3 million votes for Tinubu in the coming 2023 presidential election,” he said.
The Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, while inaugurating the National and Zonal Directorates of Artisans and Technicians, said improving the skills of registered artisans and technicians across the country will be one of Tinubu’s priorities if he elected as Nigeria’s next president in 2023.
Lalong, who was represented by the National Co-ordinator of APC Tinubu-Shettima Grassroots Independent Campaign Council (ICC), Mr. Silas Agara, explained that the Operation 30:30 for Tinubu-Shettima 2023, was a strategic voting pattern adopted by Nigerian artisans and technicians for 2023 presidential election.
He described the gesture as glamorous and a well thought out initiative for artisans and technicians on board, noting that it was impossible to quantify the numbers of artisans and technicians and the millage they would add to the Tinubu-Shettima project.
“A lot of Nigerians belong to this class of artisans and technicians and we are getting a sizeable number of them to drive the Tinubu/Shettima campaign to victory in 2023. We already have structures in over 30 states. So we are interfacing with them,” he said.
Lalong said he was happy that the APC Tinubu-Shettima Grassroots Independent Campaign Council (ICC) already had structures across the federation and was working with Nigerians and artisans at the grassroots.
He stressed that because there were more artisans at the grassroots, the council was interfacing with them at that level without moving them from their locality where they currently add economy value to the country.