The National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, returned to Nigeria on Friday after three-month medical trip to the United Kingdom.
Tinubu, who had a knee surgery, was visited by friends, business associates and leading politicians, including President Muhammadu Buhari, some state governors and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, inaugurated the South-West Agenda 2023 (SWAGA ‘23), a group rooting for Tinubu as the APC presidential candidate in the 2023 election, barely 24 hours before the former Lagos State governor arrived in Lagos.
The desire by the APC chieftain contest as president in 2023 is still speculative as he has yet to declare his interest in the exalted seat.
He arrived in Lagos on Friday evening two days earlier than he was initially billed to return to the country.
Tinubu Media Office in a statement titled, ‘Asiwaju is back,’ made available to journalists on Friday, said that the ex-governor underwent surgery on his right knee as well as rigorous post-surgery physiotherapy.
The statement read, “Contrary to unfounded rumour, he underwent no other surgical procedures and contemplates none in the future. His recuperation has been without complication and ahead of the schedule by the attending surgeon.
“He has returned fully healed from the knee surgery and fully committed to doing his modest part of advancing the cause of progressive democratic good governance throughout our beloved nation.
“Asiwaju, first and foremost, would like to thank President Muhammadu Buhari for taking the time to visit him in London to express his wishes for a speedy recovery from the knee operation.
“He is also not forgetting others who would have loved to visit him but couldn’t make it and his numerous friends, associates, supporters and well-wishers who have been with him in prayers and supplications to Allah.”
Meanwhile, SWAGA 23 has said that Tinubu already has 12 million votes in the bag ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
The chairman of the pro-Tinubu group, Senator Adedayo Adeyeye, said, “When this movement started, we wanted our candidate who some people, particularly in Abuja and some circles, have been saying has no home base; he is no longer popular and all that. We wanted to prove to them that the man is very acceptable, not only in his home base but throughout the country.
“We want everybody in the South-West to rally around this man and support him and so far we have been very successful. We have moved round the palaces to see most of our top traditional rulers who have endorsed him.
“Charity begins at home; we wanted to solidify the home base. Once the home base is solidified, I believe other Nigerians, particular in our party, will feel more comfortable to field this candidate, knowing that he can win the election for them.”
