The presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has said that he asked President Muhammadu Buhari to choose a running mate for him but the president declined.
The APC candidate said this on Tuesday at the party’s campaign grand finale rally in Lagos, according to a statement by the Tinubu Media Office signed by Tunde Rahman.
According to the APC candidate, President Buhari, who was physically present at the rally, proved his democratic mettle by providing a level-playing field for all APC presidential aspirants.
Tinubu praised President Buhari for standing firm for democracy, accountability, transparency and fairness.
“The president asked all of us interested to go and contest the primaries of our party. After I was picked overwhelmingly by the delegates, he didn’t ask them to change the results because of my tribe or religion or because I’m not from Daura like him, he accepted me and celebrated with me, telling me ‘you are almost there now’,” he said.
Tinubu said when it was time for the choice of a running mate, the president turned down his offer to choose for him, telling him “you know better, you are very experienced and you know the kind of person who will assist you to run the country, so pick that person’.
“Thank you Mr. President, you gave me the courage, the confidence and the will to pick right,” he said.
The APC candidate said he chose as running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, who he described as a most knowledgeable and independent-minded person.
He said Shettima had shown determination and grit to perform and be different, describing him a dependable, reliable and courageous man.
Addressing the rally, Tinubu faced the president and said: “As you worked hard for me, I will work hard for Nigeria. All the plans set out in our Action Plan for Renewed Hope for Nigerians will be pursued rigorously.”
He promised to do all in his power to continue where Buhari would stop and consolidate his achievements.