A former Governor of Lagos State and the National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Saturday revealed what he told President Muhammadu Buhari about his Presidential ambition.
Saying: “I told the President that, I want to step in his shoes but not step on his toes.”
Tinubu revealed this while speaking to the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, when he paid him a visit at his Ake palace in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The visit was part of Tinubu’s consultation for his Presidential ambition.
After months of speculation, Tinubu had during his visit to Buhari at the Aso Villa in January, declared his ambition to succeed him in 2023.
Tinubu, who arrived the palace of Alake at 4.35pm, went straight into private meeting with the monarch, after he had earlier paid similar visit to the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona at his Ijebu-Ode palace.
Addressing the monarch after the meeting, Tinubu said, he decided to express his intention to Buhari following calls from his supporters and friends to run for President.
Tinubu said that he did not want his ambition to create bad blood between him and Buhari, saying he did not want to offend Buhari by “pulling the carpet from his feet”.
He said: “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.
“I told him as the number one citizen, I should start my Presidential bid by informing you first, and he (Buhari) told me to inform the whole world, and I have done that”.
Tinubu said that he had served as a Senator at a young age, as a governor and he was actively involved in Nigeria’s return to civil rule, but his aim is to become the President of Nigeria.
His words: “I call this visit a courtesy call. I have contested with the support of the people for Senate and I won at youngest age ever. I have been governor. I clocked 50 on the seat of governor.
“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 around, 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.”
Explaining the reason for his visit, Tinubu said that he had come to seek the permission of the monarch to contest for President and to also seek the Monarch’s blessing.
He told the monarch: “I want to seek the permission of the Kabiyesi. 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 become the President.”
Fielding questions from journalists later, Tinubu charged Nigerians not to despair, saying: “My message to all Nigerians is that there will always be difficult times. There will be times for joy.
“We are navigating Nigeria. It is a very difficult period. We will survive it. We will be happy.
We will hold on to the hope that Nigeria will be united, prosperous and be sufficient. That is my message to the people. We will make Nigeria happy”.
The monarch in his response prayed that, Tinubu achieves his ambition.
He expressed optimism that, if Tinubu becomes the President, Nigeria would better for it.
