Without me, Buhari would have lost 2015 presidential election. Dapo Abiodun wouldn't have been Governor without me too - Tinubu

 

All Progressives Congress presidential aspirant, Bola Tinubu on Thursday June 2, bragged about leading the political struggle that produced Muhammadu Buhari as President in 2015.

 

The former Governor of Lagos state while addressing Ogun APC delegates ahead of the party’s primaries, also claimed that he nominated Prof Yemi Osinbajo as Buhari’s running mate.

 

Tinubu who made the claim in the home state of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, one of his rivals for the APC presidential ticket, said Buhari had offered him a running mate ticket, but some blocs rose against him, fanning ember of Muslim-Muslim ticket.

 

He disclosed that he pencilled down Yemi Kadoso, Wale Edun and Yemi Osinbajo, but later settled for the Professor of Law. 

 

Tinubu said; 

 

“You have not heard this from me before. This is the first place I am saying this."

 

Recounting how he pushed Buhari into contesting in the 2015 presidential election, the former Governor of Lagos state also said; 

 

“If not me that led the war front, Buhari wouldn’t have emerged. He contested first, second and third times, but lost. He even said on television that he won’t contest again.

“But I went to his home in Katsina. I told him you would contest and win, but you won’t joke with the matters of the Yorubas. Since he has emerged I have not been appointed minister. I didn’t get contract.

“This time, it’s Yoruba turn and in Yorubaland, it’s my tenure.”

 

Tinubu also claimed that without him, Dapo Abiodun would not have emerged Governor of Ogun state in 2019 election.

 

He added; 

 

“Dapo that’s sitting down here, could he have become Governor without me? We were at the stadium, they tore all his posters. Even the party flag, they didn’t want to hand over it to him, I was the one who brought it.

“If he wants to meet God at the right place, he must know that without God and me, he would not have become Governor.”

 

Responding to this,  Abiodun who had earlier declared his support for Osinbajo’s candidature, refused to endorse Tinubu.

 

Abiodun who described Tinubu as a political warrior, serial winner and strategist, added that delegates from the state would do “the right thing” at the convention.