APC national leader Bola Tinubu is doubling down on his credentials as a bona fide aspirant that should be selected as the All Progressives Congress’ presidential candidate, citing instances of his political exploits and apparent sagacity.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time. Give me the position. It’s my turn,” Mr Tinubu said.
While casting himself as a political saviour and Nigeria’s possible messiah, Mr Tinubu on Thursday in Ogun declared that it was his turn to be Nigeria’s next president because of his vast experience getting the likes of ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former chair of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission out of trouble.
The former Lagos governor stated that he saved Mr Abubakar, Mr Ribadu and a former senator, Ganiyu Solomon, from their oppressive principals.
He reminded the Ogun APC stakeholders that he still has the wherewithal to govern Nigeria. While many acknowledge his vast political and financial base, there are concerns about his health, which Mr Tinubu has always dismissed.
“When Atiku’s party ganged up against him, and Obasanjo brutalised him, he ran to me for help. It was I who saved him. It is my turn now,” Mr Tinubu told APC members in the Yoruba language.
The former Lagos governor reminded party members that his political intelligence saved Mr Ribadu when witch-hunted by then-President Umaru Yar’Adua, who demoted him from the EFCC chair to a deputy commissioner of police before dismissing him from the force.
“When Nuhu Ribadu was chased with an axe (during Mr Yar’Adua’s administration), this is not a matter of axe. It’s a matter of wisdom,” recounted Mr Tinubu while taking credit for resolving the crisis that beset the former EFCC chairman.
Mr Tinubu dubbed a political godfather to many elected officials, insisted it was his turn to be the country’s president and succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, whose eight-year tenure would expire in 2023.
Meanwhile, Mr Buhari has insisted on a consensus candidate for the party, a move Mr Tinubu has long opposed. The former Lagos governor has also reportedly learnt that he will not be Mr Buhari’s favourite, prompting him to embark on an open confrontation few days to the presidential primary.
Ahead of the ruling party’s convention on June 6, Mr Tinubu has made headlines for being the least likely (due to a possible consensus arrangement) to clinch the presidential ticket despite being the most prolific politician amongst the aspirants.
