The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has revealed what President Muhammadu Buhari told him when he informed him about his intention to vie for the exalted office.
He said the President encouraged him to declare his aspiration and display his democratic credentials.
“Well, come out and let us see you run and we see how you can promote your democratic credentials,” the one-time Lagos State governor quoted the President as saying when he to the President of his ambition to succeed him.
He was addressing members of the APC Caucus in the House of Representatives.
Tinubu said he was the most competent Nigerian in the race with a proven track record in both the public and private sector, growing Lagos from being the third dirtiest city in Africa to becoming a megacity.
The presidential aspirant said he was seeking to take over from Buhari and not to step on his toes, adding that others aspiring to lead the country cannot be trusted while describing them as rolling stones for their movement from one party to the other.
He said: “Democracy is not adversarial. It is when we have the collaboration of the body, particularly the legislative body that is the pillar of democracy. In Nigeria, the strongest part of us is the legislature – government of the people, by the people and for the people. No question about it.
“You have equally passed landmark legislation, such as the PIA that rationalises nearly every aspect of oil and gas production. What I want to request you to do is to support me.
“I have discussed that aspect of my lifelong ambition with Mr. President, that after the end of his tenure in 2023, I want to step into his shoes and not step on his toes.
“I have the opportunity today to come and consult with you. I am here as a Nigerian who has gone through the great tutelage of independent accounting in one of the best financial accounting in this world. I was one of those recruited graduates of my university with multiple honours and a first-class degree.
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“Most people have nothing to offer but questions and creating doubt. I am not here to be defensive. I am here to tell you that I am one of the best products that you can sell. I am the only one in the race that is most competent, most qualified to be your President come the year 2023.
“I am the only one who has been through the tutelage of the National Assembly. I am the only one who has consistently been in one party. The others are not stable. Some of them are rolling stones.
“I have been through the National Assembly. I have been in the corporate world with a background in the public sector, academics, finance and development. I have inherited one of the most badly managed states in the history of this country.
“I can look back now today and I am proud to be standing before you representing that great state which is now a megacity with a national budget higher than three countries of West Africa, developed an N600 million a month internally generated revenue to N40 billion a month….show me that nation, that state in West Africa.
“To say it all, I still want to humbly and respectfully serve the country with your collaboration. There is no crime in that. They do not have anything to say, and they say he (Tinubu) is not well. I am not applying to do mixing for concrete and sand and building 34 skyscrapers.
“I am only applying to do a job with my can-do attitude, break the shackles of poverty, and remove the roadblock in our revenue.
“Why are we not competing with Russia with our God given gas. What are we waiting for? Can we not create a long term fund that would be a financial institution that would finance our infrastructure decay.
“Why can’t we define and remember that there is no other discovery of this humanity in the last 1000 years like electricity constantly in homes and for industrial development.
“We have God given reserves, capacity, knowledge and brain. We can do it. Let us wear the can-do attitude. I did not ask for the gloves of Joshua to box for heavyweight. I ask for your collaboration today to be a bridge. We define our hopes, we define our destination and land Nigeria on a prosperous well developed country. I ask for your endorsement.
“You are the ones with the votes and supporters who can make me succeed President Muhammadu Buhari. I want to be your partner to forge a future for this country. We can do it.
“We are the most populous country in Africa. We have the best brains, we have the capacity; we have the resources. Let us join hands together. We can work together to make this country the Eldorado of our time.”
Responding to a question from the House deputy speaker on the developments in the party, Tinubu said: ‘We are not in crisis. We will solve our problems. Anybody who understands democracy should understand the facts about conflict and conflict resolution. That is the mechanism to solve problems in democracy. Another thing is voting.
“That is why there is primary, there is contests and that is why I am here. I could have been sleeping at home and enjoying myself. But I have to strive and toil. We drove all the way from Sokoto to Zamfara, held private meetings, burning the midnight oil to get results.
