2023: I Was Uncertain About APC’s Fate In Lagos – Tinubu Reveals

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, said he was uncertain about the fate of the party in the state when he contested for the presidential ticket in Abuja.

He stated this on Wednesday during a consultative caucus meeting at the APC State Secretariat on Acme Road in Ogba in Lagos, Naija News reports.

According to Tinubu, he had doubts and uncertainties to hand over the reign of the party to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the APC state chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, and other members of the State Executive Council (SEC).

However, Tinubu said he returned to his political base to meet the Lagos APC family stronger than he left it, saying that those he entrusted with the administration of the party affairs had performed beyond expectation.

He said: “I left Lagos for Abuja, leaving the party members with Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat, leaders of the Governor’s Advisory Council, and other party leaders. They are the ones who released me to go to Abuja to contest.

“I left with many doubts and I was uncertain about what would be the fate of the party. I was constantly in touch with the Governor and his deputy.

“Sometimes, I would call the party chairman and ask them if we were doing the right thing in Lagos. The reports they always brief me on gave me more courage and confidence to move on with my engagements in Abuja.

“I thank all of our leaders for keeping the party stronger. I handed over to you an undefeated platform in Lagos. The manner with which the party affairs have been conducted showed these people have fairly managed the home base.”

Tinubu said he had doubts during the journey to secure the party’s presidential ticket, but the support he got from Lagos APC leadership boosted his confidence to emerge as the flagbearer.

He said he was in the presidential race to win, but said his fate was in the hands of the party members who, he said, must work hard to get votes for the party at the polls.

Tinubu Demands Grassroots Campaign

The APC candidate urged party supporters to move out to the communities in their numbers and canvass voters for the party ahead of the 2023 elections.

Tinubu, therefore, called on the 57 local council chairmen to reach out to aggrieved members of the party at the grassroots in order to deliver more votes for the party.

He said: “Our local government chairmen must do better than any other person in delivering votes for our party.

“You met this party already built with structures across the communities. There may be little cracks here and there, you know what to do.

“Manage your anger. There is no politics without anger and pain. But with the pain comes the joy of victory.

“We are giving you the assignment to go back and recruit others. We must forget about the opposition, let’s put out the effort into the voters.

“This is the time to reach out to aggrieved members and invite them back to the party fold. This is not the time to be angry and spill the beans. We must work together to achieve the bigger goal before us.”