Former Governor of Lagos State and presidential aspirant of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), Bola Tinubu, has said that he made it possible for President Muhammadu to become Nigeria’s President in 2015.
Tinubu said this when he was meeting with members and delegates of the APC in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Thursday, as part of his final consultations, ahead of the presidential primaries in Abuja, on Monday.
Tinubu who spoke in his Yoruba language recalled how Buhari wept openly on TV, after he lost the election in 2011, saying he will never run again.
The APC leader told his audience that he went to Kaduna to meet with Buhari, and encouraged him to give the presidency another shot and that he, (Tinubu), will stand by him and make him win.
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He said since Buhari became President, he has never asked for any favours from him, except that he told Buhari that this time around, in 2023, it will be the turn of the Yoruba nation to produce the next President and that President would be Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Tinubu said he was tired of helping others achieve their political aspirations, and that it was time for him to also pursue his dream, of becoming Nigeria’s next President.
Read the full translation in English
“If not for us, I standing before you who was battle-ready, and told Buhari to contest, and let us support him, he (Buhari) would not have become President”.
“He contested the first time he fell. He tried a second time, but he failed and fell a third time. He was even crying on TV saying he will never run again.”
“I went to him in Kaduna and told him he will run, and that this was not a matter of weeping. We will stand by you and you will succeed, but only on the condition that you will never toy with the interest of the Yoruba nation, and he agreed.”
“And since he became the President, I have not asked him for Ministerial appointment, I have never asked him for any contract, I have not asked for soup, garri or fura, and I did not borrow money from him”.
“And I said, this time, (2023), it is the turn of Yoruba to rule, and when you look critically into the Yoruba race, it is my turn. I have helped and protected many enough. I also want to become President”.
(Editor: Ifeanyi Mark)
