“During those meetings, the point of disagreement between Tinubu and me is that while I expressed my worries that there is nothing on ground to assure me that the administrative style and attitude would change in the next four years in a manner that will enable us to deliver the positive changes we promised to our people, he expressed a strong opinion that he would rather 'support a Buhari on the hospital stretcher' to get a second term because in 2023, power will shift to the South-West," Saraki said.
Bola Tinubu, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s second-term project because he believes power will shift to the South-West in 2023, which will give him the opportunity to become President.
This is according to Senate President Bukola Saraki, who was responding to Tinubu’s criticism of his defection, and that of Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“During those meetings [between Tinubu and Saraki], the point of disagreement between Tinubu and me is that while I expressed my worries that there is nothing on ground to assure me that the administrative style and attitude would change in the next four years in a manner that will enable us to deliver the positive changes we promised to our people, he expressed a strong opinion that he would rather 'support a Buhari on the hospital stretcher' to get a second term because in 2023, power will shift to the South-West. This viewpoint of Tinubu’s was not only expressed to me but to several of my colleagues. So much for acting in national interest,” Saraki said in a statement he personally signed and released on Monday.
“It is clear that while my own decision is based on protecting the collective national interest, Tinubu will rather live with the identified inadequacies of the government for the sake of fulfilling and preserving his presidential ambition in 2023. This new position of Tinubu has only demonstrated inconsistency — particularly when one reviews his antecedents over the years.”
Saraki also said his “uncertain and complex relationship with Tinubu” has been continually defined by the event of 2014 when he and other leaders of the APC “opposed the Muslim-Muslim ticket arrangement about to be foisted on the APC for the 2015 polls”.
“It should be noted that he has not forgotten the fact that I took the bull by the horns and told him that in the interest of the country, he should accept the need for the party to present a balanced ticket for the 2015 General Elections in terms of religion and geo-political zones. Since that time he has been very active; plotting at every point to undermine me, both within and outside the National Assembly,” he added.