Adedokun Waliyu 
Mr Adeshina Akinyemi, National Director, Artisans and Technicians, All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), has assured that artisans and technicians in the country will deliver 5.3 million votes to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in 2023 presidential election.
APC Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. [Twitter:DOlusegun]
He gave the assurance on Saturday in Abuja at the inauguration of National and Zonal Directorates of Artisans and Technicians and the launching of operation 30:30 for Tinubu-Shettima 2023 campaign organisation.
He said the event was to make a statement and showcase the strength of the APC Tinubu-Shettima Grassroots Independent Campaign Council (ICC).
He added that it was also to showcase the council’s quality and quantity as a deep-rooted organisation that had structures across the country with the capacity to deliver at any time in the political process and the country generally.
Adeshina explained that the event was to enlighten and create awareness 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.
“And that is the message they should take back to their communities, Local Government Areas, and zones,” Akinyemi said, adding that 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 stressed.
Also speaking at the event, Alhaji Sanusi Rikiji, National Co-Director, and North West Zonal Director, Artisans and Technicians of the APC PCC, said the event was the first in the country’s democratic history.
He said this was so because for the first time, artisans were noticed and a whole directorate was created to bring them together from across the country by the APC.
He added that this meant that Tinubu in his zeal to develop the country’s economy, realised that the starting point of developing the economy, increasing productivity and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was with technicians and artisans.
He described Tinubu as a man endowed with natural talent and initiative, saying that he knew that developing artisans and technicians would increase employment and address issues of insecurity in the country.
Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau, who inaugurated the directorates, said improving the skills of registered artisans across the country will be one of Tinubu’s priorities if he is elected as Nigeria’s next president in 2023.
Lalong, who is the Director-General APC Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), was represented at the event by Mr Silas Agara, a former Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State and the National Co-ordinator APC Tinubu-Shettima Grassroots Independent Campaign Council (ICC).
He explained that the operation 30:30 for Tinubu-Shettima 2023 which was also inaugurated, is a strategic voting pattern adopted by Nigerian artisans and technicians for the 2023 presidential election.
“For us, we have to add value to what they are doing currently and ensure that we improve on the set of artisans we currently have in the country.
“This, we will do by ensuring that their skills are improved and upgraded so we can have more skilled artisans in the country to add more value to the country’s economic empowerment,” he said.
He described the gesture as a glamorous and a well thought initiative to bring artisans and technicians on board.
He added it is impossible to quantify the number of artisans and technicians and the mileage they would add to the Tinubu-Shettima project.
“Lots of Nigerians belong to this class of artisans and technicians and we are going to get a sizeable number of Nigerians from this class,” he said.
He said he was happy that the APC Tinubu-Shettima Grassroots Independent Campaign Council (ICC) already had structures across the federation and is working with Nigerians and artisans at the grassroots.
Lalong stressed that because there are more artisans at the grassroots, the council is interfacing with them at that level without moving them from their locality where they currently add economic value to the country.
“We have to meet them at their areas of residence and points of entrepreneurship, ICC is in Kaduna, and some states interfacing with Nigerians and artisans at the grassroots level.
“While the project of the PCC is quite laudable, ICC is complimenting what it is doing and that is why we are here,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 100,000 artisans and technicians and some APC stalwarts from across the federation attended the event
