All Progressives Congress chieftain in Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe, says the party’s National Leader, Bola Tinubu, is physically fit to lead as Nigeria’s President.
Igbokwe, a former spokesman for APC in Lagos, argued that 69-year-old Tinubu, is not older than the current President of the United States, Joe Biden, 79; and his predecessor, Donald Trump, 75.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that Tinubu, on January 10, visited the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and announced to State House correspondents that he had informed the President of his intention to contest the presidential election in 2023.
Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, celebrated his 69-year-old birthday in March 2021. In the same month, Tinubu tripped over his foot and stumbled, crashing between two chairs on arrival at the 11th Arewa House Lecture in Kaduna State.
For over three months in 2021, Tinubu was away in the United Kingdom where he underwent surgery and therapy for a knee injury.
The health condition of the APC leader has since become a subject of controversy with many Nigerians rejecting another President like Buhari who has spent over 230 days in the United Kingdom on health grounds since he came into office in May 2015.
Aside from his heath, Tinubu’s educational qualifications have also been scrutinised lately by many Nigerians.
Speaking on a television programme, however, Igbokwe said Tinubu is mentally and physically fit to be Nigeria’s President.
When asked whether Tinubu is physically fit for the office of the President, Igbokwe said, “This kind of question will always come. When you get to US, the number one democratic nation. You’ve seen Trump, you know his age, you’ve Joe Biden, you know his age. Age has nothing to do with it, it’s just a number.
“So, he (Tinubu) has the capacity, he is coming to the table with a lot of experience and you cannot ignore that. What we should do is to pray for him. I don’t think he is older than Biden, I don’t think he is older than the former President Trump.”
“He is 69, that’s his age. Even if he is 70, he is qualified, even if he is 80, he is qualified. So long as he is physically fit and he has the mental alertness to do the job,” the APC chieftain added on Arise TV’s ‘The Morning Show’ monitored by The PUNCH.
Igbokwe, who is from Anambra State and currently serves as Special Adviser for Drainage & Water Resources to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said he won’t vote for any aspirant from the South-East or elsewhere but Tinubu.
Already, Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi; former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha; the Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Kalu; amongst other APC members from the South-East geopolitical zone have declared intention to run for the much-coveted office in Aso Rock.
Also, other stalwarts of the ruling party including Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, have been rumoured to nurse presidential ambitions in 2023 but both of them were yet to declare an interest as of the time of filing this report.
Asked whether there won’t be a conflict of choice between Osinbajo and Tinubu’s followers, Igbokwe said, “It is the party that will decide, we will go to the national convention, whoever emerges, we’ll support that person because only one candidate will be fielded by the APC; it can be Asiwaju (Tinubu), it can be Osinbajo, it can be Umahi but as I speak to you now, my voter’s card is in my pocket and I am going to use it to vote for Asiwaju if he wins the primary.”
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