Tinubu visits Jonathan, seeks his blessing, support for 2023

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu has paid a visit to former President Goodluck Jonathan.

On Tuesday, Leadership quoted Mr Tinubu as saying he was on a courtesy visit to the former President, telling Mr Jonathan of his presidential ambition and to seek his support ahead of the polls next year.

Mr Tinubu was accompanied by running mate Kashim Shettima, and governors of Ogun State Dapo Abiodun, Kwara’s AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Bello Matawalle of Zamfara, Jigawa’s Abubakar Badaru and Simon Lalong of Plateau.

The former Lagos State governor was one of the key opposition figures that campaigned against Mr Jonathan’s reelection during the buildup to the 2015 polls, a historic election that saw for the first time a ruling party defeated by an opposition party.

Mr Tinubu had visited former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his Abeokuta residence earlier in the month as part of his ongoing consultations. Messrs Obasanjo and Tinubu met behind closed doors for three hours but refused to speak to the press after the meeting.

In what is expected to be a hotly contested election, the former Lagos State governor will be going up against former vice president and presidential flag bearer for the opposition party, Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and several other contenders.