2023 Presidency: Nigerians Will Know If Tinubu Is Running By January – Fashola

Will All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, join the 2023 presidential race as being speculated?

Works and Housing Minister, Babatunde Fashola, says the answer will come in January when Tinubu is expected to confirm his interest.

Fashola who succeeded Tinubu as Lagos State governor in 2007 spoke on Channels Television programme ‘Hard Copy’ Friday night.

Tinubu himself yesterday met with former governor of Abia State,Dr.Orji Uzor Kalu in Abuja.

”I saw him last week; he didn’t tell me he was running for office and to the best of my knowledge, the last statement he made about it was that people would know in January,” Fashola said. The Minister said he did not ask Tinubu during their meeting.

“I only went to see how well he was doing,” he said, adding: “He has issued a statement that ‘I will speak in January’, so let’s wait for his speech.”

Asked if he was speaking for any presidential aspirant, Fashola responded in the negative,saying: “As far as I am aware, nobody has said, ‘I want to be Nigeria’s President’. There are people speaking for people. Nobody has come out; we are not at that stage yet.

“I can’t venture out and say that I will speak for X or Y. Let the person come out and say, ‘I want to serve Nigeria’.

“It pains me sometimes when we seed that very important job and responsibility to, ‘My people said’. I think the whole sense of it should be that I am able, I have looked at myself, give me your problem, you go to sleep’.”

The APC leader arrived Kalu’s residence at 4.25pm and the two men immediately launched into a closed door discussion, according to Kalu’s aide, Kenneth Cole, who gave no details.

But the former Abia State governor ,writing on his verified Facebook page said:”My brother, longtime friend and fellow political associate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu early this afternoon paid us a cordial visit at my Abuja residence. We spent more than four hours discussing the security, unity and progress of the country. We also used the opportunity to reflect on other issues of national importance. God bless Nigeria.”

Kalu is also said to be nursing presidential ambition.

The Nation