Following an end to the waiting game in the camp of one of the national leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over his 2023 presidential ambition, Monday, there has been an outpouring of comments from Nigerians and groups in the country.
Tinubu, a two-time governor of Lagos state revealed that he has informed President Muhammadu Buhari about his ‘lifelong ambition’ of becoming the president of Nigeria. The APC chieftain said he discussed this with Buhari during a closed-door meeting which held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday.
Following the declaration, Nigerians have continued to give their take on the candidacy of Tinubu.
Reacting, a former lawmaker of the House of Representatives and Director General, Bola Ahmed Tinubu Support Group Management Council, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin passed a vote of confidence on Tinubu.
Jibrin described Tinubu as the best candidate for the top job in the land. According to him, the former lagos governor has the capacity and vast experience to lead Nigeria in the right direction.
He said this during an interview session with Arise TV, monitored by The New Diplomat.
In his words, “Asiwaju has a pedigree, he has work so hard to build this image, he has work so hard to build this empire. He is the person that Nigerians want at the moment. I used to tell people that I come from the northern part of the country, anywhere you go in the northern part of the country it is Asiwaju every street you go is Asiwaju, so it is going to be a landslide (victory) both in the primaries and the secondary election.”
Activist Deji Adeyanju in his reaction rejected the ambition of Tinubu to become the president of Nigeria, come 2023.
Adeyanju who took to his social media accounts, described Tinubu as a “bullion vans merchant”, whose source of income still remains a misery.
According to him, Buhari is 10 million times better than Tinubu, praying that may calamity never befall Nigeria through Tinubu.
He wrote, “Tinubu, the Bullion Vans merchant will sell Nigeria to himself like he has done with Lagos State. A man without any known source of income except politics with private jets and uncountable billions.
“May such a calamity never befall Nigeria. Buhari is 10 million times better than Tinubu. At least, Buhari is not selling Nigeria to himself.”
Also, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation Ohanaeze Ndigbo described the declaration of Tinubu to contest the Presidency in 2023 as unjust and unfair.
The spokesman for the Igbo apex body, Chief Alex Ogbonnia said the ambition of the APC Chieftain was dead on arrival, saying Tinubu knew that he was doing the wrong thing by embarking on a project that was not rooted in equity, justice and fair play.
In his words: “It is a project that is dead on arrival. Because God is a universal entity that he is always interested in truth, fairness and equity. So for anybody embarking on anything that is not rooted in equity and justice will not succeed and this is a countervailing force that has sustained this world from the beginning.
“So Tinubu knows that he is embarking on a cause that has no foundation in anything: foundation in equity and justice, and of course is a project that will not succeed.”
Below here are some other reactions harvested from the social media;
“Imagine wasting 8 years under a Buhari Presidency and another 8 under a Tinubu Presidency. That’s a whole lifetime wasted. That’s millions displaced. Hundred thousands dead. Oh God please no!”(@Akinyemi M.A)
“It’s only a retrogressive human being, that will want Tinubu to be president of Nigeria. Tinubu, represents everything wrong as a person and as a nation. God forbid, that Tinubu becomes the president of Nigeria. Affliction shall not affect us the 2nd time.”(@emmaikumeh)
“Surviving Buhari’s era means that GOD gave you a second chance at life. Please don’t mess it up by giving your second chance to Tinubu.”(@royalty)
