Winners of the Popular Spelling Bee Competition and its highly-coveted ‘One Day Governor’ prize in Lagos State have declared their unflinching support for the foremost presidential candidate in the country and respected national leader of the All Progressive Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the forthcoming general elections.
In a press statement on Sunday made available to Theliberationnews, the winners of the school competition acknowledged Tinubu’s deliberate efforts in revolutionizing the aspiration of every student in the state when he was in office as the state governor, one of which was the support he gave to the youth-focused competition.
The competition was the brainchild of the then First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu in 2001 and it has produced several winners ever since from various public schools in the state. The winner of the latest edition was Abdulazeez Abdulrahmon of Oriwu Model College, Ikorodu.
They testified that Tinubu, through the competition, fortified them with numerous life virtues responsible for their enviable excellence in their various fields in life.
They added that Tinubu’s decision to make the coveted seat a grand prize of the competition is the highest level of respect and humility ever accorded to teenagers in this part of the world.
They called on the teeming Nigerian youths to take a cue from their lives and personal experience in order to visualize what they stand to gain with Tinubu occupying the number one political seat in the country.
The full statement reads: “There is no doubt that Nigerians are preparing to set up a new democratic dispensation in February 2023. Elections are held every four years in line with the Nigerian Constitution to elect new representatives for the executive and legislative arms of government.
“This conforms with the principle of popular sovereignty which says the citizens must determine those to represent them. For power to come from the people and not, as we have had in our tragic military period, the barrel of the gun, the exercise of franchise by voting has been established as the global standard.
“We commend the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC for putting in place policies and processes which have enabled the youths to register to vote. For the first time since the return of democracy in 1999, INEC has released figures to show that majority of voters in the new register are voters.
As expected, not less than 18 parties have put forward candidates for the offices at House of Assembly, Governorship, House of Representatives, Senate and the Presidency.
Campaigns have also started in earnest as candidates sell their track records and manifesto of their vision to the Nigerian people.
A boy or girl is the product of his or her experience. We are Nigerian youths. Our experience has made it an obligation to come forward at this time to address this press conference.
“The condition and aspiration of students in Lagos State primary and secondary schools went through a revolution in 2001 when, for the first time, mentoring youths and nurturing them to imbibe values of achievement took a radical dimension with the introduction of the Spelling Bee competition. It was the pet project of Senator Mrs Oluremi Tinubu. Her husband, our father, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the governor.
“Every child who has demonstrated some proficiency in English Language was invited by school managers to compete so that the school could present it’s best candidate in the inter-school competition.
The competition moved from local government education districts to state districts to the finals. The best candidate to spell won.
“What values did we learn?
First, that your achievement in life is ultimately determined by your effort, not by the wealth or poverty of your parents. Second, that the acquisition of knowledge and skills is critical to your success. Third, that only a leadership that cares for the youths and facilitates their development is serious about sincerely ensuring that the youths will be the leaders if tomorrow. Fourth, that performance is not determined by your tribe or religion or class. It is determined by how you use your talents and skills.
“Finally, we were taught to see ourselves as products of the investment of public resources and such must imbibe patriotism, enterprise and be our brothers and sisters’ keepers.
“Without any fear of contradiction, I wish to say, each and everyone of us who emerged One Day Governors and our fellow winners who were deputy governors, speakers and commissioners have gone into the world and we are excelling.
“We wish to thank our father, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who, despite the fact that we were just teenagers, showed the highest example of love and humility for vacating his office for us to perform our role as One Day Governors.
It also showed the huge respect he has for the womenfolk and our mother, Senator Oluremi Tinubu in particular, for not saying women could only function in the kitchen and not rejecting an idea that has transformed our lives.
“The above testimony leads us to the logical conclusion. There is no better candidate than our father, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Governir of Lagis State as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
We urge fellow youths to use our example and experience to liberate themselves from the campaign of calumny of those who had similar opportunity to show love, to give care and to make effort to give youths in their states self-confidence and a secured future but failed woefully to do so.
“A Tinubu presidency will give youths real sense of belonging and integrated participation. Thank you.”
