A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe, has said Bola Tinubu, is physically fit and mentally ready to be Nigeria’s President in 2023.
Igbokwe, who is a former spokesman of the APC in Lagos State, said the former Lagos State governor, who is jostling to contest the 2023 presidential election is much younger than the United States President Joe Biden.
Speaking on Arise TV programme, ‘The Morning Show’ on Thursday, Igbokwe said the 69-year-old Tinubu is 10 years younger than Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump, 75.
He said, “This kind of question will always come. When you get to the US, the number one democratic nation, you’ve seen Trump, you know his age, you’ve Joe Biden, you know his age. Age has nothing to do with it, it’s just a number.
“So, he has the capacity, he is coming to the table with a lot of experience and you cannot ignore that. What we should do is to pray for him. I don’t think he is older than Biden, I don’t think he is older than the former President Trump.
“He is 69, that’s his age. Even if he is 70, he is qualified, even if he is 80, he is qualified. So long as he is physically fit and he has the mental alertness to do the job.”
Asked if the ambition of Tinubu, and that of VIce President Yemi Osinbajo and Governor Kayode Fayemi would not cause division within the APC, Igbokwe said whoever wins will be supported by other leaders and members of the party.
He added, “It is the party that will decide, we will go to the national convention, whoever emerges, we’ll support that person because only one candidate will be fielded by the APC; it can be Asiwaju (Tinubu), it can be Osinbajo, it can be Umahi but as I speak to you now, my voter’s card is in my pocket and I am going to use it to vote for Asiwaju if he wins the primary.”
Tinibu’s physical fitness has been a subject of debate among the electorate in recent times with some beleiving that he is too old to rule Nigeria.
They said Nigeria could not afford to have an invalid president considering the tasks before whoever succeeds President Muhummadu Bihari in May 2023.
Bihari had spent about 230 days in UK hospital for treatment at various times.
Tinubu also recently returned to Nigeria after going for knee surgery in the United Kingdom and those against him are saying that the position should be left for politicians who are much younger.
