Ex Kwara State senator Bukola Saraki hailed former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu over his decision to step down as Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate.
It would be recalled that the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday officially announced that the former Attorney General of Lagos State, Yemi Osinbajo, would run on as a Vice President on the platform of the major opposition party.
Earlier Tinubu had withdrawn from the race characterizing his move as a “patriotic contribution and duty”.
Saraki praised the politician saying that his deed contributed to the development of democracy in the country, The Nation reports.
See his opinion in full:
“The emergence of Professor Yemi Osinbajo – a Professor of law; a well-ranked academic; a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN); and a committed pastor of unquestionable integrity from South-West Nigeria further attests to the commitment of the All Progressives Congress to fairness and equality.
“Most importantly, I would like to commend the National Leader of our party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the sacrifice and contribution to the development of APC and democracy in Nigeria. No doubt, from his precedents as a forward-thinking Governor of Lagos State, and his profile as one of the foremost democrats in Nigeria, the people of the South-West and a large block of voters wanted Asiwaju as running mate to General Buhari.
“Historically, the South-West is known not to pay attention to religion but competence when picking candidates for positions, but due to Tinubu’s belief in the Nigerian project, which he sees as bigger than any individual interest, he made it clear that we cannot ignore the current happenings around the country that require that as a party, we must take extra caution and be sensitive to every ethnicity and religion by picking a Christian candidate.
“Despite what has been reported on the pages of some newspapers, some of us privy to the happenings behind closed doors attest to the leadership role of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which led to the emergence of Osinbajo, an erudite scholar and a dogged advocate of the people.
“In the same spirit, I must also commend other leaders of the APC who have continuously made sacrifices in the interest of the party and Nigeria at large. Leaders like Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Owelle Rochas Okorocha who on Thursday December 11,2014 after the presidential primaries made similar sacrifices by pledging their support to General Buhari, contrary to speculations by naysayers that the APC would implode either after the primary or in the course of the nomination of its vice-presidential candidate. APC has, once again, demonstrated that national interests are paramount in the guiding principle of the party, as opposed to personal ambition.
“I use this opportunity to congratulate all party stakeholders, most especially the presidential candidate for the success of the process in the selection of the Vice-Presidential candidate; this process has once again demonstrated to Nigerians the preparedness of APC to run an efficient and transperent government, putting to shame those that have said the party was made up of people with personal ambitions.”
The newly emerged candidate yesterday paid a visit to Tinubu to express his appreciation for the move.
Thus we have the main figures to represent the two major parties in the 2015 elections. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is to be represented by Goodluck Jonathan and Namadi Sambo and the APC – by Muhammadu Buhari and Yemi Osinbajo.
