..I don’t have any son grown up enough to make presidential declaration – Tinubu
… We’re not under tight corner over Tinubu, Osinbajo aspirations says APC Govs
The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress and presidential aspirant, Bola Tinubu, on Monday met with members of the Progressives Governors Forum at the Kebbi State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja.
Tinubu who feigned ignorance of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s declaration of his presidential aspiration a day earlier when asked about his take on the development said, “I don’t have any son grown up enough to make such declaration.”
Speaking on why his meeting with the APC Governors, Tinubu said, “My mission here is to seek collaboraation, support and encouragement of my party, the APC, for my ambition to become the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as replacement for President Muhammadu Buhari after his tenure.”
The meeting is coming less than 24 hours after Vice President Yemi Osinbajo hosted the governors at his Aguda House residence on Sunday evening; where he disclosed his intention to run for the APC presidential ticket.
Tinubu had in January informed President Muhammadu Buhari of his intention to succeed him.
The governors in attendance include Governors Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, Bababjide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, Gboyega Oyetola of Osun, Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, Simon Lalong of Plateau, Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, amongst others.
Kebbi Governor, Bagudu who spoke on behalf of APC Governors, “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this morning, met members of the Progressive Governors Forum where he stated what he has made public already -his intention to seek for the office of the President come 2023 which he has already announced publicly. He briefed us on his reasons, his thinking and his message.
“All the governors in attendance graciously came to listen to him. He acknowledged the role of the Governors in the last convention of our party, where, according to him, the governors of the party steadied the party by helping in the evolution of the leadership that is accepted and widely acknowledged as that which we wish for our party. We appreciated him, his message and will definitely discuss the message at one of our forum meetings.”
On whether Osinbajo and Tinubu contesting putting the governors under tight corner, the governor said,
“No, no, no. In fact, in the contrary, we appreciate our party because it has become a party that has endeared itself to Nigerians. We have many brilliant people in our party, some serving and some not serving. The fact that we have people in our party that express desire to lead the party into the highest office in electoral contest shows how much this our party has resonated with Nigerians and our party members.
“For us, it is a hallmark of success that people are showing interest, but at the end of the day and because they are leaders of the party, they will always put the party’s interest at heart.”
The governor also dismissed the fear in some quarters of consensus option by the party in its choice of presidential candidate.
He said, “We always encourage our party to go for the best. Don’t forget that in the 2015 presidential election primary, President Buhari contested against several others and it was a beautiful contest. There is nothing wrong. Members of the party always want to see consensus if it is possible but we are a democratic party.
“In our last convention, we had consensus in some of the offices and election in some others. There is always misrepresentation of consensus as if people are being snowballed into positions they would rather not take.
“APC has done well as a party, President Buhari has led the party ably well and we believe strongly that come 2023, Nigerians will see another President of the APC extraction.”
