June 10, (THEWILL) – Former Lagos State governor and Presidential Candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has reassured his party on the choice of a running mate for the 2023 presidential elections.
Tinubu spoke on Thursday night, after being hosted by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.
Following his victory in the APC presidential primary election, speculation has been rife about the identity of the vice-presidential candidate of the party.
Several APC governors are believed to be in contention for the position, but there has been no official decision yet.
Although, speculations are that he might pick a running mate from among the Northern governors that supported his ambition.
The names mentioned included governors of Kaduna, Jigawa, Kebbi, Plateau, among others.
Speaking with State House correspondents, when asked to divulge where he was leaning towards picking a running mate, Tinubu said: “I won’t tell you that. That is my right, it’s in my pocketbook.”
The former Lagos governor said Buhari showed that he is trustworthy by not endorsing any of the presidential hopefuls.
“He promised the entire country and the world that he will build a legacy of transparency and consistency, the legacy of a level playing ground for all the candidates, that he will be committed to democratic principles and values and he did so,” Tinubu said.
“He did not endorse anybody, he did not impose anybody, and he did not at any time attempt to tinker with the process of this election to favour one tribe or the other. He was steadfast, trustworthy, dependable and a great leader.
“It is not my victory that is important, it is the process and management of that election that gave it to President Muhammadu Buhari”, he said.
The APC presidential candidate said he is ready to take over the mantle from Buhari, while reeling out some of his attributes.
“I am brilliant, I am experienced from the private sector to the public sector and ready to hit the ground running the same day — and not mess up the legacy of progress and honesty that has been left behind and handed over to me by President Buhari”, he said.
He also advised members of the ruling party to celebrate the outcome of the primary with moderation, noting that the real work has just commenced.
“All APC party members should celebrate in a limited manner. We’ve just begun the hard work, the work ahead to win the victory for our party is a hard one and we will win”, he added.
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