The former Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has promised to engineer the needed change and turnaround for the country to achieve its full potential if elected president in the 2023 elections.
The national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said the country needs a competent leader at this present time of its journey, who can unite the people, tackle insecurity and rejig the debilitating economy for the benefit of the masses.
Tinubu spoke on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital during his consultation with the members of the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers in furtherance of his 2023 presidential aspiration.
Also, he was received by a mammoth and joyous crowd in the state capital during his visit to the palace of Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe.
The former Lagos State Governor was accompanied to the venue of the meeting by the Deputy Governor, Bisi Egbeyemi and top brass of the Southwest Agenda 2023 for Tinubu Presidential ambition, led by Senator Dayo Adeyeye including Chief Pius Akinyelure and Hon James Faleke.
Addressing the Council, chaired by the Chairman of the Council and Onisan of Isan Ekiti, Oba Gabriel Adejuwon, Tinubu averred that he was in Ekiti to consult the traditional rulers that he would be contesting the 2023 presidency so that he could get their prayers and support.
According to him, “We have struggled for democracy and today, we have democracy, but we are not stable yet. There is insecurity, hopelessness, lack of education, and suffering in the land. By now, we should have a good farming system and opportunities to produce for other nations to buy.
“We are here to answer the call of our children by educating them the right way so that we can leave a Nigeria that is united, prosperous and abundant for them. We chose democracy and we must not fail in this task.
“I’m contesting this race to renew the hope and make the future great for our children. For Nigeria to stand united and develop, we require patience and wisdom. We have to be united, that is the only way we can be great.
“I will engineer Nigeria turnaround, I can assure you if you allow me to get to the office in 2023. As a country, we must invest in science, engineering but first in electricity.
“That was why we formed APC based on principles. I want to tell you that Nigeria needs serious change. I knew how Lagos was when I took over and we had never failed any election. There must be continuity in governance for progress to be attained.
“I was the first governor in Nigeria to start paying the WAEC fee of secondary school students. I shall do it again as a President.”
Tinubu posited that he decided to consult the traditional rulers before declaring because of the enormous respect he places on culture and tradition.
“I have been on Nigeria’s project since the ’70s. I was with MKO Abiola in SDP. I was a Senator before he came out. I was the youngest Senator of that era. I was about to become Director of Finance of ExxonMobil, but I rejected it. I said I wanted to serve Nigeria. They gave me a leave of absence to go and do politics for four years and come back, but I only spent two years as a senator when the military came and terminated our tenure.
“But I have an option, which was to either go back and enjoy at ExxonMobil, but I decided that I will fight for Nigeria instead of going back to enjoy. We believed that there must be democracy in Nigeria, there must be freedom and there must be opportunities.
“We joined hands with Soyinka, Enahoro and others. Governor Kayode Fayemi was at the University of London then, brilliant and he joined the struggle. He worked so hard, in fact, he is an excellent man. So, looking at all these, we should all know that this democracy must not fail.
“We have to collaborate, unite and promote ourselves instead of fighting. We all see what is happening in Ukraine today, we don’t need much experience here. We must elevate our technology and make use of available opportunities to develop Nigeria and that is what we are coming to do.”
Speaking, Oba Adejugbe said Tinubu has the required qualities to make a better president, “considering his achievements when he was Lagos State governor, we have no doubt about his records.”
“Asiwaju has impacted lives across the country and we can attest to this. His template is working for Lagos today and God will crown his efforts on this ambition,” the traditional ruler said.
On his part, the chairman of the state council of the traditional ruler, Oba Adejuwon said the constitution permits every qualified Nigerians to aspire for any position, saying God will help him realise his ambition.
The National Chairman of SWAGA, Senator Adeyeye, said he has made a great investment in the development of Ekiti in terms of human resources and that the traditional rulers must appreciate him.
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