By ANGELA ATABO

Two Support groups, Bola Ahmed Tinubu Intellectual Coalition (BATIC) and Tinubu Support Group (TSG) have merged to build structures and drum support for Bola Tinubu, Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, in the 2023 general elections.

Mr Niyi Adebayo, National Coordinator of BATIC, disclosed this at a meeting to mark the groups three years anniversary, on Sunday in Abuja.

Adebayo said that the move became necessary, having realised that “politics was practical and not on social media”.

He said, “After our leader emerged victorious in the primary, we are planning to move down to each polling unit where we will have street campaigns to make the movement a success story for Asiwaju.

“This meeting today is for us to mark our three years anniversary, and secondly, to present ourselves to TSG as a group that we are ready to work with to achieve victory for our leader.”

He said that BATIC, which a movement was, started on May 28, 2019, and had since grown in the 36 states of the federation and in the Diaspora.

He said the idea of forming BATIC was borne out of the people’s love for Tinubu and people who wanted to see a better future for Nigeria and for the coming generation.

He added that the group had structures across the 36 states, the regions, local government areas and down to the ward level, to ensure the APC candidate won in 2023.

Adebayo assured Nigerians that Tinubu would fight corruption and move Nigeria forward for a better nation for all.

Umar Mohammed, Director-General of TSG, thanked BATIC for the move, saying that they (TSG) were aware of the capacity and passion towards Tinubu.

“We will be looking forward actually, to collaborate, synergise and push this project together with you.

“TSG has been in existence for almost three years and was formed by some of Tinubu’s closest friends and allies, who truly believed in him and also believed that Nigeria needs him more than ever at this juncture.

“They knew that APC, considering its current image, needs someone like Asiwaju with the brand name Tinubu to support the party to move forward in 2023.

“Otherwise, APC would have been no more without Asiwaju contesting as the president under it,” he said.

Mohammed said that the groups’ decision to support Tinubu was prompted by a background survey carried out to test his acceptance level before the primary.

The survey, he said, made him to discover how loved and accepted Tinubu was by the people.

Mr. Bola Babarinde, APC National Chairman, South Africa and Board of Trustees, Diaspora Leaders Forum, said the group was working to ensure Tinubu became president.

He expressed the conviction that Tinubu, who delivered Lagos, would make a difference at the national level due to his pedigree.

Also, Dr. Suraj Mohammed, BOT Chairman and APC National Chairman for National Interest, described Tinubu as “a force to be reckoned with”.

“Asiwaju is a strategist and a management economist, he is well educated and believed in practical politics. He practicalised it in Lagos.

“It is because of this, that we have been begging him to be president and replicate what he did in Lagos.

“I know that if Tinubu becomes the president of this country, we will make tremendous effort politically, socially and in all facets of the economy,” he said. (NAN)

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