“I have no son grown enough to declare:” Tinubu mocks Osinbajo

Tinubu to journalists: “I have no son grown enough to declare.”

The above scenario involving the national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, played out on Monday when journalists approached him for his view on the presidential declaration of his erstwhile political godson, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Reacting, Tinubu feigned ignorance of the said declaration, saying that he has no son grown enough to have made any presidential declaration.

Shortly after the declaration, Tinubu, who had earlier declared his intention to run for the topmost job, had met with some twelve governors elected on the platform of APC on Monday in Abuja to discuss his presidential aspiration.

The meeting came a few hours after Osinbajo declared his interest in the 2023 presidential election.

That was when Tinubu dropped the bombshell disowning Osinbajo and maintaining his aspirations to become the country’s president.

Osinbajo, on his part, had earlier on Sunday night also met with APC Governors to intimate them of his ambition.

At the meeting with the Vice President were Governors Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno, and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State.

Details of Monday’s meeting were not readily available as it was held behind closed doors at the Kebbi State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja.

With Tinubu at the meeting were the Governors Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, who is also the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State, Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State, Mohammed Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State, Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State.

Others were Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State, Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, and Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State.

Speaking after the meeting, Tinubu said:
“My mission here is to seek collaboration, support and encouragement of my party, the APC, for my ambition to become the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as replacement for President Muhammadu Buhari after his tenure.”

On the declaration of his “son”, Osinbajo for presidency, Tinubu said; “I don’t have any son grown up enough to make such declaration”.

Speaking at the occasion, PGF Chairman, Bagudu said the aspiration of both men has not caused any form of division within the ranks of the governors.

He said: “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this morning, met members of the Progressive Governors Forum where he stated what he has made public already — his intention to seek for the office of the President come 2023.

“He briefed us on his reasons, his thinking and his message. All the governors in attendance graciously came to listen to him.

“He acknowledged the role of the Governors in the last convention of our party, where, according to him, the governors of the party steadied the party by helping in the evolution of the leadership that is accepted and widely acknowledged as that which we wish for our party.

“We appreciated him, his message and will definitely discuss the message at one of our forum meetings”.

Noting that consensus not ruled out of the party’s decision, he said: “Members of the party always want to see consensus if it is possible but we are a democratic party.

“In our last convention, we had consensus in some of the offices and election in some others.

“There is always misrepresentation of consensus as if people are being snowballed into positions they would rather not take.”