The national leader of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), Bola Tinubu, on Saturday said he was willing to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari but did “not want to offend him.”
The expression may have been informed by scathing criticism that Tinubu’s open declaration of presidential ambition and subsequent campaigns were rather too early, given the security and socio-economic challenges facing the APC-led administration.
But the former governor of Lagos State, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, yesterday said it was Buhari who actually directed him to go announce his ambition “to the whole world”.
Tinubu said this during his visit to the Alake and paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Michael Gbadebo.
Tinubu, who was on a consultation tour in Ogun State over his presidential aspiration in 2023, also visited the Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebu land, Oba Sikiru Adetona, in Ijebu-Ode.
Afterwards, he headed to Ilaro in Yewa, Ogun West Senatorial District.
The two-term Lagos governor had informed Buhari of his plan to contest the 2023 presidential election.
At the palace of the Alake, Tinubu said his aim was to become the President of Nigeria.
“I clocked 50 on the seat of governor,” he said.
“I have done crusades to return Nigeria to democracy rule, before I started hearing the voices of the people that I should contest for President, I have thought about it deeply, but I cannot think about it alone.”
“The people said, this time round, I should run for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I told them that we have elected someone there and I don’t want to pull the carpet from his feet.
“I told the President I want to replace you and I don’t want to offend you. I told the President that I want to step in his shoes but not step on his toes. As the number one citizen, I should start my bid by informing you first, and he (Buhari) told me to inform the whole world, and I have done that.
“I want to seek the permission of the Kabiyesi (traditional ruler), I want to seek his blessings and his prayers and seek the blessings of other chiefs.
“I’m here to tell you (Alake) that, I want your prayers and I want to inform you that I want to become the President.”
In his response, Oba Gbadebo welcomed the presidential hopeful and prayed that God would grant his desires of becoming the President.
On his way out, Tinubu told journalists that he would make Nigerians happy if elected president.
He, however, admitted that the country is passing through difficult times.
