Middle Belt presidency agitation leader, Ayom, declares for Tinubu, donates structures

The Benue-born philanthropist, who has been playing roles in the economic policies of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, also donated some multi-billion campaign structures to the Senator Abu Ibrahim-led Independent Campaign Council (ICC) of Tinubu.

At the weekend in Abuja, he led the national coordinator of ICC and former deputy governor of Nasarawa state, Silas Agara, in company of Pius Akinyelure, to inspect the various facilities he donated to the ICC at the ICC headquarters.

Ayom, who is also the president and chief executive officer of the Granite and Marble Company, which signed a business deal with one of the biggest manufacturers of mining equipment in the world, SBM China Ltd in a presidential business trip in 2016, was the first to announce his presidential aspiration under the All Progressives Congress (APC) in January 2022.

In a remark at the occasion, Ayom said: “In line with my strong commitment to the Tinubu/Shettima presidency, I am collapsing all the support given to me by both traditional rulers, the clergy and all the middlebelters into the Bola Tinubu presidency starting with the physical structures which include furnishings of the ICC headquarters, Abuja.

“I am also making available the combined 1500 capacity amphitheatre, together with the 2000 concert stage for light political platforms, World cup viewing centre and subsequently by the GRACE of GOD, a VICTORY party venue come May 29.

“Similarly, included in my donation is the four floors edifice in Abuja for their exclusive meeting. The donation also include the expansive facility in the OLD GRA sharing the same fence with CBN in Makurdi. All the above donations are meant for the smooth running of ICC for Tinubu/Shetima presidency.

“In addition, he has also donated two facilities in Mbadede ward (the biggest ward in Nigeria ) in Vandeikya local government of Benue state.”

Of the facilities donated, the Amphitheater which he said will be branded Bola Ahmed Tinubu square will continue after elections. It will continue as a “speaker’s corner for political discussions.

Disclosing his knowledge of Tinubu, Ayom stated: “I have known Tinubu since the days of Iyorchia Ayu’s Senate Presidency when he, Tinubu, served as the chairman of finance, Appropriations, banking and currency of the then Senate. He has all it takes to rule this country because he has paid his dues as a leader of the party.

“Throughout his (Tinubu’s) eight years as the Governor of Lagos State, I was the host of his very special VIP, The Emir of BOGU who coronated him as JAGABAN before his demise. He was my guest at Bay Dorchester at plot 1234, Bishop Oluwole street, Victoria Island, Lagos.”

He is optimistic that Tinubu would hand over power to the Middle Belt and charged all middlebelters to cast their vote for Tinubu in 2023.

“So, to this extent, I can conveniently tell you that I have followed Tinubu and studied him and I am full of hopes that he will give the Middle Belt a good deal. A vote for Bola Tinubu is a great step to a Middle Belt presidency. So, let’s vote Tinubu/Shettima for justice, equity and fairness,” he said.

According to him, the Middle Belt has a pact with the North East via Kashim Ibrahim, when in the first Republic, the seat of the House of Representatives in Benue was given to Kashim Ibrahim to contest and win and he became a member of parliament using the Benue slot.

Ayom continued: “The people of the South West and the Middle Belt are historically political friends as demonstrated by the revered political leader of the Middle Belt, late J. S. Tarka, and the iconic nationalist and Yoruba leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo who struck the friendship between the two geopolitical regions in the First Republic.

“The friendship exists today. So, I am invoking the political spirit of J.S Tarka to rekindle that friendship with the people of the South West using Tinubu as the point of political contact to Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

“He assured that Tinubu and Shettima would rekindle the transformative governance displayed by Awolowo pointing out that “we all know the governance vision and philosophy of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and how he developed and transformed the South Western region into the educational and economic powerhouse of modern Nigeria: Tinubu will do same for Nigeria and even more if elected as President.

“Tinubu is a creative and resourceful leader and manager of human and material resources. He is a democrat of the highest grade. As the Governor of Lagos State, he turned the State into the number one foreign investment destination in Nigeria. If elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria he will do the same economic and investment magic he did in Lagos State,” Ayom stressed.

-the sun