The growing speculated presidential bid of the former Lagos State governor and National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in 2023 has received a boost as the House of Representatives members from the north pledged their support for him.
The delegation of the northern caucus in the House, led by the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, expressed the support during their visit, on Friday, to Tinubu in London.
Tinubu has been receiving treatment in a London hospital for several weeks.
Among the delegates that visited were the Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa; Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Abubakar Fulata; Chairman, House Committee on the Army, Abdulrazak Namdas; Blessing Onuh, daughter of former President of the Senate, David Mark; and Sada Soli.
A member of the delegation who spoke with a correspondent of SUNDAY PUNCH on condition of anonymity, reportedly said that the visit was aimed at endorsing Tinubu for President.
He said, “We in the North (House of Representatives caucus) are kind of endorsing his candidature because he is a national leader and you know that he is aspiring. Whether you like it or not, he wants to be President of this country.
“We felt that if the northern caucus of the National Assembly – in the House of Reps – would come to see how he is recuperating, we thought that it would mean so much.
“He really appreciated our coming because he said he rated our coming second after the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari. He mentioned that governors and others came but this is a mini Nigeria in the House of Reps, for the entire northern caucus to find time to come and see how he is faring.
“He stood up and walked. I’m sure you have seen the video. I think he has recovered; he is not doing badly at all – this is not politics. I think because of his age, he has to still go for physiotherapy and things like that. These are things that will take time for him to fully do some politicking. He will soon come back to Nigeria.”
The lawmaker representing Guevara/Suleja/Tafa Federal Constituency in Niger State, Lado Suleja, called Tinubu “Mr President,” in one of the viral videos from the visit, with the ex-governor replying, “Thank you.”
The former governor said in a viral video, while addressing the northern caucus, that he was healthy but currently undergoing physiotherapy.
