There are rumours in many quarters that Tinubu is nursing an ambition for the 2023 presidential election.
Former Lagos State Governor and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu's speech in a space of seven years has suggested his desperation for power.
There are rumours in many quarters that Tinubu is nursing an ambition for the 2023 presidential election.
Checks by SaharaReporters have revealed Tinubu's bias towards the President Muhammadu Buhari-eld government in comparison to the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
In November 2014, Tinubu said President Jonathan’s administration lacked the wherewithal to tackle the country’s security challenges.
The former Lagos State governor consequently asked Jonathan to resign as Nigerian president.
He said, “I saw the sea of refugees caused by the Boko Haram insurgents and the lies coming from Jonathan’s administration. They have exhibited failure, lack of capacity, vision and creativity. The lies of yesterday are what they repeat today and are what they will repeat tomorrow. They are lying to you.
“They are lying about the security, toying about the security of this country. I don’t have time to explain the logic of their lies.
“But if you control the armed forces and you are the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic, why should any part of this country be under occupation? And you give us excuses every day. In any civilised country, Jonathan should have resigned. But if he will not resign, he should wait for our broom, we will sweep him away. I will come back.
“This is just the endorsement of Governor Ahmed, that he will be re-elected by the grace of God with the support of you people here and those outside there. The unemployment situation will be conquered by this administration of APC (All Progressives Congress). We have the vision for the security of the lives of our children.
“The thieves that daily steal your money have not given you any job, they cannot create jobs and they are starving states of funds to pay workers salaries. The best thing to do is to sweep them away through the broom revolution. APC is a party of the masses.
“It now behoves on you to begin a house to house campaign that this is a party of the masses.”
But speaking in 2021, during the 12th Colloquium themed “Our Common Bond, Our Common Wealth” held in Kano, Tinubu, urged President Buhari to recruit more youths into the Nigerian Army.
This is a sharp contrast to the condemnation of the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration.
He authorised the immediate recruitment of up to 50 million young Nigerians into the Nigerian Army to tackle the Boko Haram and criminal bandits ravaging the country.
He later said he meant to say 50,000 and not 50 million.
He argued that such an action would overwhelm the ragtag groups of insurgents and bandits terrorising the country across multiple flanks.
“We are under-policed and we are competing with armed robbers and bandits to recruit from the youths who are unemployed —33 per cent unemployed?” Tinubu said at his 69th birthday celebration which was held in Kano.
In his address, Tinubu suggested that education and literacy were not important to the recruitment process, rather it should be based on the willingness to fight criminals.
He said: “Don’t talk about illiteracy, anybody who can hold a gun, who can handle a gun, who can cock and shoot is technically competent to repair a tractor in the farm.”