2023: I made Buhari president in 2015, it’s now my turn -Tinubu

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

National leader of the All Progressives Congress(APC) and former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has revealed that without him Muhammadu Buhari wouldn’t have been president of Nigeria.

It’s on the strength of this that he appealed on all Nigerians to support him as it’s his turn and that of Yoruba which he symbolizes to be president.

Tinubu made these revelations on Thursday at Abeokuta Ogun State while addressing the leadership of the party as well as state delegates ahead of the party’s presidential primary election slated for Abuja on Monday.

Saying, his political strength should be considered in chosing the party’s presidential flag bearer come Monday.

Tinubu who was received by the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, shared his political journey with the party members, stressing that ‘I have five governors in South West’.

The APC leader retreated that his reason for forgoing his position in 2015 was to make way for a Muslim/Christian ticket.

Osinbajo and Tinubu

In an uproar of praise, delegates chanted. Tinubu said, “I forgo my Vice Presidential right to Yemi Osinbajo in 2015.”

“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), I wanted to contest for President that time.

“What I am telling you now is between me and God Almighty.
Prior to 2015 general elections, Buhari called me to be his Vice President. He said because the first time he contested, he picked Chuba Okadigbo, a flamboyant politician, a Catholic, but Nigerians didn’t vote for him.

“The second time, he picked another Igbo, Umeh Ezeoke, Nigerians didn’t vote for him, that if he goes to bring the Pope to run as his vice, Nigerians won’t 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)”.

Osinbajo and Tinubu

“I was asked to submit three names, Yemi Cardozo, Wale Edun, and Yemi Osinbajo, but I told them if I submit three names, they will believe that I am not consistent and I insisted that I will present one candidate and I presented Yemi Osinbajo’s name”.

“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”.

“When Atiku Abubarka was being flogged out of PDP by Obasanjo, he ran to me for help. I let the ticket for him. Nuhu Ribadu came to me and I backed him”.

“It has been over 25 years now that I have been serving them. This one sitting behind me, Dapo, can he say he can be the Governor without me? We were together at the MKO Abiola Stadium, he was intimidated, they didn’t want to give him the party’s flag, I was the one that handed the flag to him. He knows that he cannot be the governor without the help of God and my support”.

“Since he became the president, I have never got ministerial slots, I didn’t collect any contract, I have never begged for anything from him. It is the turn of Yoruba to produce a President. It is my turn”.

Abiodun and Tinubu

The Ogun state Governor Abiodun Dapo in his response, described Tinubu as bold, a strategist, fighter, mentor, and dogged politician.

The governor stated, “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.”

It will be recalled that last month, Governor Abiodun had declared his Support to the presidential ambition of the Vice President, Yomi Osinbajo who is an indigine of the state and has returned his voter card from Lagos to Ogun state.

Tinubu popularly called Jagaban was accompanied to Abeokuta by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; his Kano State counterpart, Umar Ganduje, and former Borno State governor, Kasim Shettima.