Former Lagos governor seeking the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu said on Saturday that if he becomes president, he can make Edo state as “beautiful” as Lagos.
He also promised a transformational leadership and to replicate the developmental strategies he initiated in Lagos in Nigeria if he is nominated as the candidate of the party and goes ahead to win the primary election.
Tinubu stated this at the palace of the Oba of Benin when he paid him a courtesy visit while in the state to meet with the delegates of the APC ahead of the party’s presidential primary election.
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He said Lagos State was in bad shape when he became governor of the state in 1999 but that today, it is a mega city.
Tinubu said: “Your Royal Majesty, I am here this evening to seek your endorsement; I am here this evening to seek for your prayers and blessings because I know what your endorsement means, I know what your prayers means. Your Royal Majesty, I want to be president of this country and I am not joking.
“I am very competent when it comes to competence. My experience in various leadership capacities gives me an edge.
“Your Royal Majesty, when I became governor of Lagos State, the state was nothing to write home about, but as of today, Lagos is a mega city. When I became governor of the state, Lagos was generating internally N600m monthly, but as of today, Lagos is proud of generating over N50bn monthly. These are all the things I put in place to make Lagos great.
“Nigeria needs transformational leadership where everybody will participate in its God given prosperity.”
In his response, the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, said the Benin throne is non-partisan but interested in who becomes president of the country hence the throne prays for a good leadership.
He said: “We are praying for you. And if you are eventually given the ticket and become president of the country, do the things that will make you sit at the right hand of God. And do not forget those of that pray for you “
While meeting with the delegates, Tinubu appealed to Edo delegates vote for him promising that he would ensure APC regains the state if he becomes president