2023 Presidency: Businessmen Promise To Buy Nomination Form For Osinbajo

Ahead of the 2023 general election, a support group known as Businessmen for Osinbajo (BFO) said beyond prevailing on Yemi Osinbajo, vice president to contest for the presidential position, it will obtain nomination forms for him.

BFO, an independent group of volunteers from every sector and size of business, across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory has the mandate to deliver Osinbajo as Nigeria President come 2023.

Speaking at the inauguration of the group in Abuja on Wednesday night, the Conveners Tayo Fashogbon and Olatunji Davies said the vice president has been supportive of business and economic policies in the country.

Fashogbon said while Osinbajo was yet to declare his interest in the presidency, BFO was working towards ensuring that he emerges the next President of Nigeria because of his competence, versatility and knowledge of the dynamics of the Nigerian business environment and the global economy.

He stated that Osinbajo has not declared his presidential ambition because as a legal luminary, he was waiting for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to lift the ban on electioneering in order not to jump the gun.

He said: “I stand here to welcome you on this journey towards an elevated Nigeria. This elevation will be brought about by a more intentional participation of the business community in the democracy of Nigeria. Until now, the business community, with all its great contributions, has only remained on the fringes of political relevance. This has continued to limit our capacity to influence the ease and outcomes of doing business.

“Our group called the Business Men for Osinbajo is officially launched as a first major step to change the narrative. BFO is an independent group of volunteers from every sector and size of business, across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. The mandate is simple: to deliver the incoming President come 2023, Prof. Oluyemi Osinbajo.

“As the right leader for the business community, he (Osinbajo) has demonstrated passion for strengthening the economy by improving the ease of doing business at all levels. We have seen, from his esteemed role as Vice President, in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, how he has strongly stood for the business community.

He has displayed his prowess through policy innovations, uncommon leadership of critical government interests, coordination of the economy, enhancement of quality of governance and an unwavering commitment to levelling the playing field.

“For these reasons and more, we have resolved to purchase forms for him; we are actively and intentionally focused for him to be the incoming President, come 2023. We know at the appropriate time, he will yield to our clarion call.”

On his part, Davies said the BFO was rooting for the Osinbajo presidency because of his acceptability by Nigerians regardless of their economic, social, religious and ethnic background.

“He has the charisma, the pedigree, aura and everything working for him to be able to continue from where President Buhari will eventually stop. We have seen what the president has done in infrastructure with regards to the railways, roads across the country including the second Niger Bridge.

“These are things that we felt we do not want somebody that will come and do trial and error. The vice president is there. He has been part of the government and he knows what they have been doing. We need continuity and consistency.

“We are not just telling him to contest. We are going to obtain his nomination form. Everybody is going to be part of it because this is a man who has lived across ethnic, political and religious lines,” Davies added.