Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal
The Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, on Tuesday bowed to pressure and opted
out of the race for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives
Congress.
The Speaker made his decision public in a statement he signed and made available to newsmen in Abuja.
Tambuwal said the decision to suspend his
bid was taken after due consultations and considerations of the overall
interest of the party.
He equally noted that going ahead with
such a bid at this time, would alter calculations on the political
chessboard of the party.
The Speaker, however, stressed that he had what it takes to be the President of the country.
This, he said, led him to embark on
extensive consultations towards taking a decision as to whether or not
to participate not to actualise a personal ambition, but rather to
actualise “our dream for a new Nigeria.”
The statement partly read, “Having
consulted widely, taking into consideration the concerns of some elders
of the party, I have decided to suspend my participation in the
presidential contest for now.
“I have done so as a sacrifice for the
cohesion and unity of the APC. I am suspending my participation in the
presidential race for now, because I do not have any inordinate ambition
to occupy any office. Nigeria is a country too great to sacrifice on
the altar of partisan politics and personal ambition. What anyone
becomes in life is exclusively in the hands of God. Only God gives power
to whoever He pleases.”
He noted that since the news of the
possibility of his participation in the presidential contest got into
the public domain, it had generated monumental interest, analyses and
commentary.
Although he made no direct reference to
his next political move, Tambuwal said, “I am overwhelmed by the
outpouring of support and interest. On my part and with the greatest
sense of modesty and responsibility, I wish to assure Nigerians that I
am fully prepared, ready, willing, determined, available and armed with
the requisite plans, programmes and ability, to undertake the great
mission of rescuing our dear country from the clutches of
institutionalised corruption, gross incompetence, greed and
divisiveness.
“I am prepared for the great task of
rescuing Nigeria from the security problems, the scandalous youth
unemployment, and the economic and social malaise that plague her.”
The Speaker expressed confidence that
when given the chance, an APC government would operate a clean,
corruption-free, competent and purposeful government to deal with the
inexplicable paradoxes that had held the nation hostage for over 100
years.
“I have carefully considered the concerns
expressed by some of our leaders, whom I deeply respect and whose
support and counsel I enjoy, to the effect that my entry into the
presidential race at this point may necessitate having to rework some
equations on the political chessboard of the party,” he said.
While pledging his loyalty to the APC and
the five presidential aspirant – Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Alhaji
Atiku Abubakar, Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Governor Rochas Okorocha
and Mr. Sam Ndah- Isaiah, Tambuwal appealed for understanding.
Inquiries from the APC National
Secretariat on Tuesday evening, revealed that eventhough Tambuwal was
speculated to be eyeing the governorship of Sokoto State, he had yet to
pick an expression of interest or nomination forms.
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