Tinubu Initially Reluctant to Contest for President Due to Health Concerns — Akande

Chief Bisi Akande, the pioneer national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has shared how he convinced Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to run for president in the 2023 election, despite Tinubu’s initial reluctance due to health concerns.

Akande, a former governor of Osun State, revealed that Tinubu was dealing with arthritis, which caused him significant discomfort and made him hesitant about entering the presidential race. However, Akande persuaded him, emphasizing the importance of having a Yoruba candidate in the race.

Speaking as a guest on the State of the Nation podcast, hosted by broadcast journalist Edmund Obilo, Akande recalled how Tinubu initially resisted the idea of running. “Somebody called me to report that Tinubu was quarrelling with anyone who discussed the presidency with him at the time,” Akande said. “He was not interested in the presidency at all.”

The elder statesman explained that he took it upon himself to convince Tinubu to run, not for his personal gain but to ensure that the Yoruba had a representative for the presidency. Akande shared how he framed the conversation, saying, “I said, ‘We don’t want you to be President because of you. You’re unimportant in this matter. But in Yoruba tradition, when you want to worship the deity, you take the fattest animal or the biggest yam to worship the deity.’”

Akande stressed that the goal was to secure the presidency for the Yoruba people, and that Tinubu was the best candidate at the time to represent them.

Tinubu, who expressed doubts about his ability to finance a presidential campaign, responded humorously, saying, “If I had the kind of money that people need to be President, I would rank with Dangote,” referring to the wealth of Nigeria’s richest man, Aliko Dangote.

Akande also addressed Tinubu’s health concerns, particularly his arthritis. “He asked me, ‘What about my leg?’” Akande recalled. “He was having a bad leg at the time. I told him, ‘Go and do it, there’s still time. Go and fix your leg, and in six months you’d be fine to run.’ And he did.”

In the end, Akande’s persistence paid off, with Tinubu ultimately agreeing to run for president, a decision that led to his victory in the 2023 election.