Tinubu Defends Presidential Bid
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has defended his bid to contest the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria.
Speaking at the Chatham House on Monday, in London, Tinubu explained his policy thrust in his presentation and called on his team including Kaduna State governor, Nasir El Rufai; Director of strategic Communication, APC-PCC, Dele Alake; Reps SpeakerF emi Gbajabiamila; Betta Edu, Wale Edun, and Ben Ayade, to speak on the array of questions put to him.
Tinubu was asked 10 questions during his interactive session at Chatham House but went on to answer 4 of the questions leaving Governor El-Rufai, Femi Gbajabiamila, Betta Edu, Wale Edun, Dele Alake and Ben Ayade to take on one each of the the remaining 6 questions.
When asked why he still bids to be president after being a member of the ruling party for 8 years, the APC presidential flag bearer, personally, said, “I guess my name is Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the current president is Muhammadu Buhari.
“There’s nowhere in the constitution that prevents me from running for president.”
He explained that he has his policy focus which is different from the current policy of the Buhari administration as he possesses his “philosophy and development programmes” to move Nigeria forward.
Tinubu recalled that he transformed Lagos State and created one of the biggest economies in the African sub-region through private sector investment.
According to him, his policy while governor of Lagos State made the state’s economy bigger “beating the Federal Government before we took over” in 2015.
“Our courage to do so is self given. I believe I have earned that thoroughly”, he added.
Tinubu also promised to overhaul the country’s educational system.
He said he would recruit more teachers and give student loans as part of efforts to develop the education sector.
“The education system is to change. We would overhaul it and tinker with some areas with the philosophy that no one would be left behind. There will be student loans for all. We are going to reform the Almajiri system, We are equally going to build more schools, recruit more teachers and train them”, he said.
On his agenda for employment, Tinubu promised to build youth capacity.
He said if elected, his government would equally introduce technology hubs where youths can acquire digital skills to better develop their leadership skills.
“Youths can even develop technological languages on their own and make a better 21st-century approach to governance in Nigeria.
“Youths are the greatest asset of tomorrow”, he said , adding that they will be part of his “all-inclusive” government, pointing to the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as a demonstration of his quest to engage youths.
-diplomatic diary
