Tinubu: I Won’t Quit Politics, Presidential Race

•Consensus on Nigeria’s structure critical, Says Anyim, meets southwest delegates

Chuks Okocha in Abuja and George Okoh in Makurdi

National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has vowed not to retire from politics until he actualises his dream of becoming the President of Nigeria.

Tinubu, who said this yesterday in Makurdi, Benue State capital, while addressing delegates and party members, explained that he was in the presidential race to rekindle the hope of Nigerians.

Also, a presidential hopeful in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, has said a consensus on the structure of the country was critical to development, even as he met southwest delegates as part of his consultation for the presidential run.

However, speaking further on his ambition, Tinubu was of the view that there was no contest between him and whoever would emerge as candidate of the opposition PDP.

But if elected, he said, “l will bring the experience of my leadership in Lagos State as a governor to bear on leadership style in Nigeria. I guarantee you that I will run a transparent, rewarding, inclusive and open government. Nigeria is rich. What we need is to redirect our resources and channel them in the right direction to bring about prosperity.”

But Anyim, who also met delegates in Ibadan, Oyo State, yesterday, said he was fully prepared by his experience and exposure for the office of the President of Nigeria, because he had clear ideas of the challenges facing the country and the solutions they demanded.

On the broad agenda of his programme, the presidential aspirant categorised Nigeria’s problems into three namely: political, economic and social, saying he gathered profound experience from his over 30 years of public service including being a senator, President of the Senate, and secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), adding that he would be bringing these experiences in running the country if Nigerians elect him as president next year.

“At the formation of our nation (Union), there were lots of negotiations, constitutional conferences and even the Willinks Commission to allay the fears of the minority tribes. The lesson here is that the buy-in of all component segments of the nation is required to build the nation.

“Given that democracy is government of the people, by the people and for the people, therefore, any policy of government that does not have the buy-in of the people is not likely to succeed. This accounts for the failure of several attempts to advance our nation.”

Presenting what he called his “pathway to a greater Nigeria,” to the party delegates from all the six states of Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti and Ogun, Anyim described the Southwest as the brainbox of the nation and promised to partner with the zone on the issue of restructuring.