By Uche Amunike
Just after the Director-General, Tinubu Support Groups and former member of House of Represe get antatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin announced Ashiwaju Bola Tinubu’s 2023 ambition of contesting in the presidential election, sources say that the former Lagos State Governor and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has informed President Muhammadu Buhari of his aspiration and that the president has given him his support.
This happened when APC governors held a crucial meeting, Sunday night, over the proposed February National Convention of their party.
Tinubu’s 2023 aspiration was also, related to Vice president Osinbajo as they met in Azare, Bauchi State, during the wedding of the daughter of the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu.
Recall that during Tinubu’s time as Governor of Lagos state, Osinbajo served as Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General during his 8 years of administration.
They both met again in October 2021, when Vice President Osinbajo paid a visit to the APC Party Chief, to empathize with him after he returned from the United Kingdom, where he underwent knee surgery.
Reports had it that Ashiwaju used that opportunity to inform Osinbajo about his 2023 ambition. Even though it’s not clear what Osinbajo’s reaction was, the Vice President has severally been quoted as saying that he will not be in the presidential race against Tinubu, his former boss, reiterating that Tinubu remained his benefactor.
According to some other sources however, Osinbajo has always been of the opinion that the APC leader has never informed him of his intention to contest in the 2023 election. This always happens when the issue of the rumoured Presidential ambition of Osinbajo is brought up.
When the Media Adviser to the former Lagos State Governor, Mr Tunde Rahman was contacted to know if Tinubu and Osinbajo had discussed about Tinubu’s presidential 2013 ambition, he refused to give his comments, but said he would reach out later.
The Special Adviser to the Vice President, Mr Laolu Akande on his part, said he was not aware of any sort discussions between the duo.
Hear him: ‘I don’t think you should support the flying of such dubious kites. But to answer your question, no. I am not aware of any such discussions to even begin with’.
In the meantime, a group known as the United Nigeria Ambassadors has explained that the Southeast geo-political zone will support the emergence of Osinbajo as the country’s incoming president.
The National Coordinator of the group, Timothy Nwachukwu stated that Nigerians spanning across the six geo-political zones in the country, have been mounting pressure on Osinbajo to contest for the presidency, come 2023.
He assured that Osinbajo would get the support of the Southeast zone if he accepted to run for presidency, adding that it was important for him to harken to the call in order to consolidate on the already existing projects which the present administration have massively embarked on, in the Southeast.
Relatively, Reverend Francis Waive, who represents Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives has called on Osinbajo to contest the 2023 Presidential election. He announced in a statement released and signed by him, that nobody from the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) could match Osinbajo’s candidacy and added that he stood a chance to win the 2023 election effortlessly from the APC.
