The National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, says only restless politicians will be talking about zoning and fresh ambitions in 2023 shortly after the 2019 general elections.
Tinubu, who said this yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after closed-door meeting with President Buhari, is believed to be nursing presidential ambition in 2023.
The former governor of Lagos State, who was asked to comment on zoning in the ruling APC ahead of 2023 general elections, said, “That time is not now. We have just finished one election and Mr President is busy sorting out the Budget, working for the people of this country. Of course, restlessness of politics is going to be there, but any lover of this country will not talk about the succession plan yet. That’s the truth. Concentrate on working for the country; help the President to help the country, there’s nothing more than that.
“We cannot use 365 days in a year and 360° to work on politics, it’s not possible. Anybody talking about that now is just completely restless and not focused on the agenda of nation building and development of our country.”
Tinubu, who said President Buhari is a man of character and courage who will never accept the offer of a third term in office, added that no reasonable politician who had worked with him would contemplate such idea.
“Any reasonable politician, who had worked with President Buhari will know that he will not tamper with the Constitution. Detractors are always suspicious and will make accusations, but I was in the trench, in the struggle for democracy.
“I was in the trench and in the opposition with Muhammadu Buhari, till the Third Term agenda of a former leader of this country failed. I know he will never. He has the courage and the character to refuse such a temptation even if offered to him. I believe in him and I believe Nigerians should also believe in him.
“He doesn’t need to say it to me, I’ll argue it in the corner and everywhere they bring such a thing up. However, it’s very good to hear it from him. I say congratulations to a man of character and integrity. The challenge of turning the ship of this nation around is a continuum and a continuous effort and that is what we should get ourselves concerned with.
“Yes, politics is intoxicating, it’s flamboyant, it’s interesting, but we cannot continue in perpetuity one after the other, we have to relax, show concern for the people of the country and see to the efforts of the President that will manifest in the new, united and prosperous country. We are still not there,” he said when asked to comment on Mr President’s plan to quit in 2023.
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