Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will run for president, the All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart declared on Monday, January 10.

He spoke at the State House in Abuja after intimating President Muhammadu Buhari of his intention.

The former Lagos State governor told reporters that his bid has been a lifelong ambition.

Tinubu said: “I’ve informed the President of my intention, but I’ve not informed Nigerians yet.

“I’m still consulting and I have no problem consulting. I’ve not set a parameter of limitation to the extent of how many people will I consult. You will soon hear all you want to hear; it’s a categorical declaration. You’ve gotten that truth from me that I’ve informed Mr. President of my ambition and you don’t expect more answers than that.”

On Buhari’s reaction to his bid, he said: “He’s a democrat; he didn’t ask me to stop; he didn’t ask me not to attempt and pursue my ambition.

“It’s a lifelong ambition. So, why will I expect him to say more than that? You are running a democratic dispensation and you must adopt the principles and virtues of democracy.”

Tinubu, who has mentored many political leaders, said nothing can stop a kingmaker from becoming the king unless he has committed murder.

“About the cap of a kingmaker. I’ve never seen the cap of a kingmaker before. That is the truth, and I’ve never seen where it is written in the rule book, anywhere in any country, that a kingmaker cannot be a king, unless you commit murder.
“So, whatever is your attribute is your own opinion. I want to pursue my ambition without the title of a kingmaker.
“You can write your literature and your story based upon your own perception.”

Tinubu declined comment on the rumoured presidential aspirations of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi.

He said: “I don’t want to discuss individuals now. I must discuss myself. I have the confidence, the vision, the capacity to rule, build on the foundation of Mr. President and turn Nigeria better. I’ve done that with commitment in Lagos State. You’ve seen that experience and the capacity to turn things around and that is what we are doing.”

The APC stalwart promised to consolidate the party’s achievements if elected president in 2023.

He said: “The confusion, the drift of the past in PDP is being corrected and you can’t take that away. As we are today, go back to the data on how many barrels of oil we were producing when we first came in and what it is today.

“Even at the time we came in, we could not pay the counterpart funds to start our rail line. Today, you enjoy the comfort of having rail from Lagos to Ibadan; you have the Kaduna and you have the one for Kano still on the aggressive pipeline. You see excellent infrastructure.
“I just came from Azare and I have seen good roads. The carnage of dying on the road is reducing, except for the lack of compliance by a lot of Nigerian drivers and VIOs.
“Let us think back; let us be intellectually inquisitive as to the past and the present and what the future holds for Nigeria.”
On the APC national conversation, which has been dogged by controversy, he said it was “certain that we are going to have it”.
Tinubu added: “I’m not a spokesperson for the party and the President is the leader of the party.
“So, expect a convention. Maybe, if that’s added to your own anxiety or the other party’s anxiety, it’s good for us.
“We will get it and we’ll get it done properly.”
On the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021, Tinubu said the contentious issues would be laid to rest by the President and the National Assembly.
He added: “First of all, the National Assembly and the President must be encouraged to review and review again.
“Whatever they come up with in the Electoral Act amendment is what we must comply with.
“There is no unlimited elasticity in what we face because we have to plan and plan well, and be able to manage the time effectively.
“The great roadmap to success is the ability of a leader to do what he must do at the right time that it should be done.
“So, the Electoral Act amendment point, we will still look at that collectively. It is our country, it’s our democracy.
“We have adopted it and we will push it rigorously.”
On why he visited the President, Tinubu said: “I came to see the President on general issues concerning Nigeria, including our political party, the APC; the security issues, the achievements, the New Year agenda, and the new strategy – that we must have party congresses and all that.”