BY EDMOND ODOK – Having openly declared his interest in the 2023 presidential election, the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, says there is no stopping his life-long ambition of becoming Nigeria’s president.
According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari is fully in the know about his intention to slug it out with other contestants for the APC ticket as its stand bearer in the next year’s presidential race.
He said with President Buhari having been officially informed of the project, the road is now clear to up the ante of nationwide consultations with different stakeholders and political actors across the board.
Rising from a closed-door meeting with the President at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja on Monday, the APC chieftain told State House correspondents that there is no going back on answering Nigerians’call to contest the 2023 presidency.
However, refusing to be dragged into any controversy over a potential confrontation between him and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo whose support groups have been mobilizing for his candidacy, Tinubu said there was no reason to discuss any other individual’s interest in the presidency.
Making reference to the modest achievements recorded during his tenure as the Governor of Lagos State, the APC national leader maintained said his capacity to govern Nigeria should never be doubted, adding that being Nigeria’s president has been his life-long ambition.
On his decision to shake off the kingmaker toga and become the king himself, the former Lagos governor said there is nothing stopping a kingmaker from becoming the king unless he has committed murder.
Emphatically stating his determination and resolve to take the political scene by storm gunning for the APC presidential ticket, Asiuwaju said; “You’ve gotten that truth from me that I have informed Mr President of my ambition, I did not expect more answers than that.
“I answer that with categorical yes. I’ve informed the President of my intention but I have not informed Nigerians yet. I’m still consulting. And I have no problem consulting. And I’ve noticed that a parameter of limitation to the extent of how many people will I consult.
“You will soon hear, all you want to hear is the categorical declaration. You’ve gotten that truth from me that I have informed Mr. President of my ambition, I did not expect more answers than that.”
