The much touted presidential ambition of the National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is gathering momentum despite the fact that he is yet to officially declare his interest to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

Several groups have recently spiked their campaign for the APC leader and shown support for his presidential ambition.

Tinubu is one name among a few from the South in the APC who are being tipped to succeed President Buhari, and many are already campaigning for his candidature.

Politicians and political analysts in the country give Tinubu the credit for helping Buhari to achieve his presidential ambition in 2015 after making three futile attempts.

Though there are speculations that an unwritten agreement was reached during the formative stage of the party that Tinubu would succeed President Buhari.

Although Tinubu’s ill-health caused his supporters a scare and temporarily doused the momentum of his presidential campaign, there is however, a renewed vigour among his supporters.

A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. James Faleke (APC- Lagos), has dropped a hint that the support group for Tinubu’s bid would formally take off anytime from now.

Faleke, who is currently representing Ikeja Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and is known to be a close confidant of Tinubu, said, “Tinubu Support Group will be inaugurated in October and we urge his loyalists to be fully on ground in their states so that they can be our contact persons.”

Faleke noted that Tinubu remained the only person that could pilot the affairs of the country, adding that his achievement as governor of Lagos State was a testament of his competence.

A group supporting Tinubu’s ambition was launched about a year ago in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. The group which styles itself as the South West Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA), is led by former Minister of Works, Dayo Adeyeye, and it has been in the forefront campaigning for Tinubu’s presidency come 2023.

The former governor of Lagos State is currently in the United Kingdom recuperating from a yet-to-be disclosed ailment, after allegedly undergoing multiple surgeries.

Last week, Tinubu himself confirmed that he is still undergoing physiotherapy in London after a successful surgery.

While addressing the Northern Caucus of the House of Representatives led by the Deputy Speaker, Hon Ahmed Idris Wase, who visited him in London on Nigeria’s 61st Independence Day anniversary, the APC national leader confirmed to the lawmakers that his health has improved.

“Because of God and people like you, I am well. It is just the physio (physiotherapy) that is gruesome,” he said.

As it was gathered, the recent visit of the Northern Caucus of the House of Representatives was to endorse the presidential bid of Tinubu. A member of the delegation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, explained that the visit was to endorse Tinubu for President.

The lawmaker said, “We in the North (House of Representatives caucus) are kind of endorsing his candidature because he is a national leader and you know that he is (reportedly) aspiring.

“Whether you like it or not, he wants to be President of this country. So, we felt that if the northern caucus of the National Assembly – in the House of Reps – would come to see how he is recuperating, we thought that it would mean so much.

“He really appreciated our coming because he said he rated our coming second after the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari. He mentioned that governors and others came but this is a mini Nigeria in the House of Reps, for the entire northern caucus to find time to come and see how he is faring.

“He stood up and walked. I’m sure you have seen the video. I think he has recovered; he is not doing badly at all – this is not politics. I think because of his age, he still has to go for physiotherapy and things like that. These are things that will take time for him to fully do some politicking. He will soon come back to Nigeria.”

In one of the videos from the visit, which went viral on the Internet, the lawmaker representing Guevara/Suleja/Tafa Federal Constituency in Niger State, Lado Suleja, was heard calling Tinubu “Mr. President.”

Also, the campaign posters for Tinubu to run for Nigeria’s president in 2023, emerged in London. In a viral video shared last Monday on Arise TV, images of the APC leader were on display at some London train stations.

The adverts were also said to be on display at the popular London’s Heathrow Airport. Tinubu’s photographs were splashed on the walls.

Media aide to Tinubu, Tunde Rahman, in his reaction, said, “We don’t know who is behind it”, adding that it may be Nigerians in the diaspora.

Some of the messages in the advert blitz read: “Asiwaju for 2023, “Call to Serve, Let’s Go”, “Asiwaju the right man for the job”, “Yes We can”, “Asiwaju Ready to serve”.

While many are expressing concern over his health, Adeyeye, the chairman of SWAGA, said Tinubu’s health should not be a concern because, according to him, the health and life of men are in the hands of God.

According to him, “Let us not make his health a major concern. The health and the life of a man are in the hands of God Almighty. Even a person who seems healthy today might collapse and die tomorrow.

“So, issues beyond the realm of human beings should be left in the hands of God. Some people thought Buhari would not survive his health challenge about four years ago but look at him today. I won’t react to those who want to make the health of AsiwajuTinubu a subject of politics.

“I was the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP when Buhari was sick. But, I never made issues out of his condition, despite being in the opposition party then because as a Christian, I know such a matter could only be determined by God Almighty.

“Those who travelled abroad to see him came back with a very good report. They said he is hale and hearty and that his health hasn’t deteriorated in any way.”

Already, Adeyeye’s group has commenced aggressive consultations with stakeholders and power blocs in Lagos State for Tinubu’s endorsement, as the group had flooded Lagos metropolis with various Tinubu’s posters for the presidential contest.

To lend credence to their moves, Tinubu’s posters for the poll have been pasted in many strategic areas of the state, such as: Ojota, Maryland, Ketu, Ikeja, Lagos Island, Ikorodu, Ikotun, Igando, Ojuelegba, among others.

The secretary of the group in Lagos, Khafilat Ogbara, said their visit to the traditional rulers was purposely for sensitisation, consultation and mobilisation of people in different areas of the state ahead of inauguration of the group in the state

(Sunday Independent)

Update news