The National Leader and Presidential aspirant of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has affirmed that all he was after so far in the politics of the country was its betterment, to ensure things go accordingly.
Addressing leadership and delegates of APC in Abeokuta, Ogun State during the week, ahead of the party's presidential primary election slated for Abuja on Monday, Tinubu who spoke in Yoruba almost through out his speech said he was behind the emergence of Muhammadu Buhari as President, Yemi Osibajo as Vice President and Dapo Abiodun as Governor.
Explaining his intentions on all political decisions taken by him since his advent in the nation's politics, the presidential hopeful emphasized in Yoruba that he took every step in good faith: "Pe ko ma daru, pe ko ma baje".
Tinubu who noted that Osibajo became the Vice-President in his stead because he nominated him for the position to Buhari said the step was taken to make way for a Muslim/Christian ticket in 2015 in order to make sure everything went accordingly.
Asiwaju explained to his excited listeners who were busy hailing him with songs and praises that he had never at any foyer revealed this fact anywhere noting that he wanted to be categorical now so that the delegates would know that it his turn.
“I forgo my VP right to Yemi Osinbajo in 2015”, Tinubu said matter of factly, as delegates praised him in an uproar.
He was quick to point out however that the coming out of Osinbajo as a presidential aspirant of the party has not created enmity between the two of them.
He said he had the ambition to become president "Since the time we started with the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Action Congress (AC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and now the All Progressives Congress (APC).
"This is me telling you between my life and God Almighty. Buhari called me to be his Vice President. He said because the first time he contested, he picked Okadigbo, flamboyant, Catholic, but Nigerians didn't vote for him. The second time, he picked another Igbo, Ume Ezeoke, Nigerians didn't vote for him, that if he goes to bring the Pope to run as his Vice, Nigerians won't still vote for him, but you, Bola Tinubu, you have six governors, you have never lost an election before, come and be my vice".
"He knew all the calculations then favoured us, that is why he wanted me as his vice, but I told him to let us build the party first. And when we finished building the party, after we brought in people from the PDP, Saraki now saw those from the PDP will not get anything if Buhari; a Muslim becomes the President and me, also a Muslim becomes his vice, he won't get the Senate President because the Senate President cannot also be a Muslim, that was how they started the campaign of calumny against me".
"And I told them that I have a candidate that is a Christan that I can nominate, so that the party will not break, that was how I nominated Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. I surrendered my right to him (Osinbajo)".
I was asked to submit three names, Yemi Cardozo, Wale Edun and Yemi Osinbajo, but I told them that if I submit three names, the chance was that I may be considered inconsistent and that was how I picked only Yemi Osinbajo.
He begged the delegates to choose him, stressing that "It is my time, I'm educated, I'm experienced. I have been serving you for a long time, bring me presidency, it is my turn".
Responding, Governor Dapo Abiodun, said the people have listened to him and heard all what he said.
He described Tinubu as a fighter, bold, strategist, mentor and dogged politician and appealed to the delegates that "this is a crucial time in the history of our nation.
"We shall do the needful and will justify why the power must come to the South West" the governor said.
Earlier, the former Borno State Governor, Senator Kashim Shettima in his appeal to Ogun State delegates to vote for Tinubu forewarned that none of the other presidential aspirants from Ogun State can garner more than 10 votes in the APC presidential primary election.
He pleaded that it would therefore be honourable for these four presidential aspirants ; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Ogun state Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, former House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole and a clergyman, Pastor Tunde Bakare to step down for Tinubu.
Senator Shettima noted that there have been agitations for zoning of the presidency to the South upon completion of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) in 2023 and that some northern leaders and serving governors like Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna and Babagana Zulum of Borno State have openly thrown their weights behind the emergence of Nigeria’s next president from the South.
He expressed concerns that some “Judas Iscariot” of Southern race are “hellbent on becoming spoilers” on scuttling the chances of the South to produce next president.
According to him, the enemy of Southern Nigeria is often not the Northern Nigeria, but men and women of its own stock, the Judas Iscariot of the Southern race who are ever ready to play the second fiddle.
Shettima urged the South West to back Tinubu to pick the ruling party ticket, saying he remains the only man that could confront the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
He also spoke on the role Tinubu played in President Muhammadu Buhari’s emergence, noting that without him, Buhari would not have picked the party’s ticket in 2015.
His words “The enemy of Southern Nigeria is often not the Northern Nigeria, but men and women of its own stock, the Judas Iscariot of the Southern race who are ever ready to play the second fiddle.
“This is an informed gathering and I cannot talk to you about leadership, Yorubas, especially the Egba and Ijebu stock are some of the most educated people in Africa.
“This is the land that produced the second indigenous Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Adetokunbo Ademola, this is the land that produced Mathew Okikiola Olusegun Obasanjo, this is the land that produced Ernest Sonekan, this is the land that produced the great MKO Abiola, I can go on and on and list the names of illustrious sons and daughters, Bola Ajibola, so many of them, Olukoye Ransome Kuti, but this is not the appropriate time for me to start listing those names because as I said earlier we are living in very interesting times and for those of us in the Asiwaju team, we are moved by forest of ideas and the realization that what this country needs is a unifying leader who has neither ethnic nor religious agenda and who is not bound by toxic regional solidarity and yet known for exemplary qualitative leadership and if you look around, the contenders and the pretenders for the Presidency of this country, there is no one that the cap fits better than the gentle man seated here.
“You may like what I’m telling you, you may not like what I’m going to tell you, the truth that sets man free is often the truth that men prefer not to hear.
“In our current dispensation, the dynamics have changed, there is no politician in the APC with the brand name, first name recognition, with the track record, with the passion for excellence that can stand toe-to-toe and even overshadow Atiku Abubakar better than Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu", Shettima pleaded.
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