Tinubu says he holds ‘no grudges’, thanks stakeholders after winning presidential primary

*‘It is a difficult thing to run for President; the stiff and bold competition you offered made our party stronger, made me better. I am a better man, I am humbled and grateful to all of you’ −Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, APC presidential candidate

Emmanuel Akosile | ConsumerConnect

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress has declared that he holds holds ‘no grudges’ against members of his party who might have worked against his candidature.

Tinubu, who stated this in his victory speech at the Eagle Square venue of the ruling party’s presidential primary Wednesday, June 8, 2022, in Abuja, FCT, that he did not ‘expect to win’ the party’s presidential primary.

He said: “I did not expect to win, I won. I must be intoxicated with victory.”

He also noted that “the competition is now over. Those who did not support me, you have nothing to fear. I hold no grudges and grievances.

“Let us each agree to join hands in defeating PDP and beat back their retrogressive understanding of Nigeria.”

In his speech after the APC presidential primary in Abuja, also thanked all the seven aspirants who stepped down for him during the primary.

“You chose to step down through personal ambition and conviction that I will do a better job not because you denigrate yourself but because you trust in my brain that I am a thinker and I am a doer.”

Asiwaju Tinubu defeated 13 other aspirants to win the primary. He secured 1,271 votes of APC delegates to emerge as the party’s flagbearer. His closest challenger, ex-Minister for Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, who scored 316 votes.

Vice-President (Prof.) Yemi Osinbajo came third in the primary with 235 votes.

The APC presidential flagbearer in his speech as well commended other candidates for putting up a good fight during the contest.

He stated: “It is a difficult thing to run for President, the stiff and bold competition you offered made our party stronger, made me better. I am a better man, I am humbled and grateful to all of you.”

The former Lagos governor described Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who also contested in the primaries, as a good and supportive pillar to President Muhammadu Buhari.

“We thank you for being steady and a good support to our President,” he said.

To Nigerian Senate Ahmad Lawan, Tinubu said: “I would have been a little upset because you compete with me but that is over now since you can easily lick your wounds.”

However, the party’s presidential flagbearer stated that it does not stop him from thanking the lawmaker for his contribution to Nigeria.

Tinubu further said: “You have helped in steering the ship of this nation in the right direction and with your team in the Senate, history is written and will be kind to you.”

He also applauded the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, describing him as a ‘sparkling speaker.’

Tinubu thanked the APC national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, who many believe was against Mr Tinubu’s emergence.

He noted: “To the chairman of our party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, it appeared some weeks back that some newspapers and many people were ready to write the obituary of this party.

“We put together and pulled ourselves as a cat of nine lives. We poached you to come over, patched the roof, steady the pillars and be a master builder.

“You came on and you worked hard with the collaboration of others, we worked with you, a new national executive emerged. Here we are; shame on those who were already building the coffin of APC.”

Tinubu added: “Shame on them, our party is alive. They won’t be able to do the convention but here we are, the first convention to choose a new executive, the governors pulled themselves together and many other leaders, we did break our backs, we are here, very happy and confident and courageous to tell you that the cat that lies down quietly is not a pretension of death but breeding of the energy to devour its enemy. Now we are here, we will roar. We will do it.

“We will tell the Poverty Development Party. They call themselves PDP, 16 years of misery, wastefulness, failures, of forgetting about our children of today and tomorrow.

“We said step aside, be buried, cry and leave the way for us, we will repair our country and will bring it back as strong, the best nation for our children.”

“I must thank our men and women in uniform, those who make sacrifices of their lives, left family behind and continue to fight for the survival of this country.

“Be assured that it is the beginning of that time now you will enjoy reward and enjoy a part of your life, you will not sacrifice for nothing.”

Kindly Share This Story