Tinubu: A.P.C Group Calls For Adoption Of Ezekiel Afunkoyo As Vice President

By Godson Ikpontu

A pro-All Progressives Congress (APC) group, on the aegis of APC Youth Development Forum(APC-YDF), has called on the national leadership of the party and its presidential candidate, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to consider and adopt Chief Ezekiel Afunkoyo as his Vice Presidential candidate.

While the party has less than two days to make decision on who to fly the joint ticket with the presidential candidate, there have been divergent opinions on the personality and geo-political zone to be considered in picking the Vice Presidential candidate.

In a statement released on Wednesday in Abuja by the National President of APC-YDF Comrade Solomon Audu while reacting to ongoing consultations on the options available to the party in considering a presidential pair for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

He said “The call to adopt Chief Ezekiel Afunkoyo as Tinubu’s Vice is based on his performance as a businessman, acceptability among his colleagues and Nigerians, his sense of justice and equity as well as his contributions to the development of APC as a ruling party.”

He said Cheif Ezekiel is known for “his personal sound character and his gentle disposition, a bridge between the young and the old, who has no record of religious bigotry, physically fit and mentally balanced, a bridge-builder between the North and the South, which makes him suitable for the position.

“The experience gained as a politician will certainly come in handy in his role as Vice President”.

He, however, explained that it is time for Taraba State to produce the next Vice President.

He noted that Taraba state has produced commited and devout leaders who have left no stone unturned in ensuring the growth and betterment of the party both at state and national levels.

He therefore called on the attention of the leadership of the party as well as the APC presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to look towards Taraba state to produce a running mate for his Presidential race.

Comrade Audu further hailed Former two times Governor of Lagos State, Tinubu and assured him of the support of the teaming Nigerian youths in the forthcoming general polls.

He also encouraged the leadership of the party to be conscious of the plight of the people with emphasis on balanced governance for the sake of peace and unity.

Meanwhile, Afunkoyo was a key player to the victory of APC in 2015, haven made selfless commitments and sacrifices with massive campaigns across the northeast and Nigeria in entirety.

He is currently the Chairman of the the Board of Management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Hospital. He is a 3times Governorship Aspirant in Taraba State and also a Member of the Presidential Defence Think-tank Committee. Chief Afukonyo was the Chairmanship Candidate for National Republican Convention Party from 1994 to 1995. In 1995 untill 1996, he held the position of Director Research and Member Board of Trustees of the Democratic People’s Party(DPN).

In 2011 he was appointed as GMB 2011 Campaign Coordinator for Taraba State and was later a Gubernatorial Aspirant of the then newly birthed Congress for Progressive Change(CPC) in Taraba State. He led a massive crusade of Supporters during the 2015 general elections, which birthed President Muhammadu Buhari as President under the victorious mandate of APC. In 2019, Chief Afukonyo made several efforts to ensure that the ruling All Progressive Congress-APC remained in power, especially at the presidential level which was achieved.