Why APC National Leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu May Not Agree To Run For Presidency In 2023

The national leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been in the news lately as a result of the appeals from his party members and loyalists for him to run for the post of the presidency in 2023.

The appeal started since last year and ever since has received serious attention from the public. Several groups within the ruling party have sprung up just to ensure Tinubu sees how serious they are in making sure he runs for the post in 2023. Just recently, a group named South West Agenda (SWAGA) was launched by important political personalities in south west that includes governors, lawmakers, and political giants.

Despite this plea, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is yet to say a word about this planned ambition for him. He is yet to accept or reject the offer despite the fact that pressure keeps on coming from all sides within the party.

Taking a critical look at the situation on ground, Tinubu may not agree to the plea of his teeming followers who are bent on persuading him to run for the position.

One of the reasons Tinubu may not agree is his age factor. Tinubu is 69 years old already and there have been clamour for a youth president in Nigeria for some years now. Apart from the clamour for a youth president, a 69-year-old man will definitely not have the strength to do some things he is supposed to do. Tinubu in 2023 will be 71, this of course is not a good time for him to be directly involved in running the affairs of a large country like Nigeria. Considering his age, he may not agree to the plea.

Another thing that may make his decision negative is his health condition. We will recall that Tinubu was in UK for three months to have a knee surgery. Before this, he was also in the UK for a medical activity. At his age, it is natural for him to fall ill and need medical attention therefore, he is required to manage his health properly to have a long life. Running for the post of a president in Nigeria is no child’s play, the campaign stress that it will require alone is enough to threaten one’s health not to talk of after the election. Tinubu may want to give his health priority over the support he is receiving from his followers.

Also, Tinubu is a major force in Lagos politics. He was a former governor, and has serious influence in the state. Becoming president may not give him the time to observe what is going on in Lagos politics, he will be engaged in several things that will take his attention from what is happening in his primary place of politics. Tinubu may also reject the plea to run for presidency for the sake of Lagos politics