Former Osun State Governor Bisi Akande has revealed that he played a crucial role in persuading President Bola Tinubu to contest the presidency, despite Tinubu’s initial reluctance due to financial and health concerns.
In a recent YouTube interview, Akande disclosed that Tinubu had serious reservations about running, citing financial constraints. According to Akande, Tinubu once asked him, “Baba, do you have money? If I had the kind of money that people have to be president, I would rank with Dangote.”
Akande recounted that Tinubu was even in conflict with those urging him to join the race.
To break his resistance, Akande used an unconventional approach rooted in Yoruba tradition.
He told Tinubu, “We don’t want you to be president because of you. You are unimportant in this matter… Yoruba wants to be president, and you are the one we have now.”
The statement, according to Akande, left Tinubu momentarily speechless.
Beyond finances, Tinubu also worried about his health, asking Akande, “Baba, you now say I should run. What about this, my leg?” In response, Akande reassured him, “Go and do it. There is still time. You will heal in six months.”
Reflecting on the challenges Tinubu faced during his campaign, Akande claimed that the #EndSARS protests were orchestrated to derail his political ambition.
He alleged that “The Obidients” were behind the movement and insisted it was “manufactured from America.”
