Nigerians could end up addressing the now National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as "Mr President", by the end of next year's presidential election, an outcome that would be a dream come through for Tinubu who himself, admitted its been his life-long ambition.
Prior to his Monday's meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, where he formally declared his intention to run for the presidency, Tinubu is well known for his role in helping others achieve their ambitions, including Buhari himself who had failed three times in his attempt to rule the country.
He was then and unsurprisingly asked why he was not satisfied remaining a kingmaker rather than wanting to be president, Tinubu said: “About the cap of 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. Me, 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.”
With that response, it is clearly obvious that Tinubu means business, regardless of public opinions about his age, health, and roles played in bringing a government most Nigerians can't wait to see its end.
In fact, Tinubu didn't seem to find fault in the current government but instead, promised to continue from where Buhari would eventually stop.
He said, "I have the confidence, the vision, the capacity to rule, build on the foundation of Mr President, and turn Nigeria better."
With that in mind, reactions soon followed as Nigerians who aren't particularly in favor of a Tinubu presidency due to concerns around his age and health, also find his promise to "build on the foundation" of the current government, hard to stomach.
Adefile Emmanuel said, "You cannot prosper electorally because of this statement," in reference to Tinubu's promise to continue where Buhari leaves off.
Okorie Nich said, "Affliction shall not arise a second time."
James Oche wrote, "We rebuke you inshallah, for this hardship, you want to continue with deeper starvation from killer PMB. ? Holy Ghost fire 🔥."
Geoffrey Moses shares his view, "U see the reason why I said this old men have nothing to offer to this country wrather to steal and destroyed what our four fathers had labored for in vain."
Agbo Sylvester is a bit straight forward, "If not for the gullibility nature of a lot of Nigerians, by this statement, you are already disqualified......Naija, are we going to allow ourselves to be terribly impoverished and enslaved again? A stitch in time they say saves nine......very soon, they will be out with their empty promises, ensure we are not deceived again, enough is enough.......Naija no belong to a few ooo, na for us all!"
Florence Mbah has her say, "God forbid! So, you want to be the chief of herdsmen that's going all over Nigeria raping destroying farming produce and murdering innocent Nigerians. You want to mortgage Nigeria the more, you want to cause more suffering and make naira more worthless. I pray that God will not allow it."
Aniedi Isong, doesn't seem interested either, "Stop it. We don't want to continue from there. We want to go back to where he picked us."
Somina Ilami, "Chimooo o si he will continue from where Bubu stopped. God please, you said affliction will not rise the second time. Don't let this happen again.
Please God😭😭😭"
Jayne Umeodiegwu, "God forbid evil and wickedness in high places!!! So, he intends to amplify the backwardness/absymal failure/high-handedness/incessant shedding of innocent blood/cluelessness/mediocrity/incessant-borrowing-with-nothing-to-show-for-it/irresponsibility that the current administration repesents?! God forbid!!! Almighty God, this is a prayer from a sincere heart, Nigerians have been through enough hell in the past 6+ yrs. Please, let Nigerians have a taste of good leadership for once in Jesus name Amen!"
Lastly, Ella Sweet, thinks Buhari's deeds for 8 years needs to be completely undone.," Sorry to say sir,, but if you want to start from where buhari stopped you will never achieve that in Jesus name Amen 🙏 the only vision Nigeria needs now is someone who will go back to 2015 and amend all that buhari has scattered."
Nigerians obviously aren't responding well to the news, of Tinubu's interest in the presidency. But in Nigeria, victory relies on other factors more than just a PVC.