Kailani Muhammad, an influential member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), emphasized the extensive effort President Bola Tinubu dedicated to establishing connections in the North, eventually gaining their support. Kailani urged prominent politicians in the South East to follow Tinubu’s and the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe’s footsteps in building bridges across the nation, which would enhance their benefits from power sharing.
As the race for leadership in the 10th National Assembly intensified, accompanied by political alignments and realignments nationwide, Kailani reiterated his support for Senator Abdulaziz Yari as the next Senate President. He justified this choice by highlighting Yari’s ability to secure more votes for Tinubu. Conversely, Kailani expressed reservations about Orji Uzo Kalu and Godswill Akpabio assuming the position due to the APC’s limited electoral success in their respective geopolitical zones.
Kailani, who serves as the National Chairman of the Tinubu Support Network and Director-General of Amalgamated APC Support Groups, questioned the South East’s desire to produce the next Senate President despite their meager contribution to the APC’s vote count. He urged the Igbo community to emulate Tinubu’s approach, emphasizing the shared brotherhood and the need to foster connections throughout the country.
Inspired by notable figures such as Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who sought unity to ensure a peaceful and progressive Nigeria, Kailani highlighted Tinubu’s remarkable journey. He emphasized that it took Tinubu nearly four decades to build bridges in the North, eventually winning their support at the right moment. In contrast, Kailani acknowledged that Tinubu did not receive substantial votes from the South East, attributing the limited support to Nigerians of different backgrounds residing in the region.
Kailani also noted that the Yoruba community in the South East did not vote for Tinubu, mentioning instances where religious sentiments were incorrectly brought into the political sphere. He stressed the importance of recognizing that those at the top echelons of power primarily prioritize financial gains over regional conflicts. Kailani urged politicians to bear this in mind, highlighting the significance of unity, while pointing out that those in power often enjoy themselves behind the scenes while the common people engage in unnecessary disputes.
In his words; “South East gave us meager votes, yet, it want to produce the next Senate President. Where is it ever done?
“That is why we have been telling our Igbo brothers and sisters to build bridges across the country as Tinubu did; after all, we are brothers and sisters.
“The great Azikiwe of Africa did this when Nigeria was about to break. He went to the North. Awolowo did the same just to ensure a peaceful and progressive Nigeria.
“It took Tinunu almost 40 years to build bridges around the North, and they eventually voted for him at the right time. South East did not vote for him. Those few votes from that region are from Nigerians of other extraction living there.
“The Yoruba there did not vote for him either. They went to the church and said it was going to be a religious war, which is not supposed to be.
“We should have it at the back of our mind that at the top, people only know naira and dollar. When those of us at the bottom are fighting, in the night, they are together enjoying themselves.”
