The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has pledged to host some of his loyalists and party faithful to a dinner after his victory at the February 25 poll.
He made the promise at the ‘Meet the mentor’ dinner held in his honour by the APC Progressives Sisters Network at the International Conference Centre in Abuja on Friday,
A lively Tinubu, who was received amid ovation at the ICC, told the gathering he was serious about inviting them to a banquet because he was certain that he would win the presidential election.
In his address, he said “I am here because of the high respect that I have for all of you. But leadership is about leading, giving facts, responding to responsibility, managing your time efficiently and effectively as well as the ability to do what you need to do at the time it ought to be done.
“And the time it ought to be done is now. I have a superior appointment. Late yesterday, the president called that I should be at his place by 9.45 pm this evening (Friday). What do I do? Cancel it and disobey my president? And it is a command, more or less. (He said) see me at 9.45pm.
“I can’t say I would boycott this event or downgrade it. I have got to be here to, first of all, seek your understanding. That is why there is always a pair for races like this. I have a vice presidential candidate.
“In my capacity, I will beg the committee of the House or the sponsors of this programme to allow me to leave and choose a new date and then do the dinner again. That is, if you still have the appetite for it. That will mean having a two-in-one event. This one for the vice presidential candidate tonight. He is a man whom I have great respect and confidence in. I believe once I exit, he takes over. I will encourage you to choose a new date for my dinner. I have been looking into the calendar.
“Perhaps you may want it as three-in-one. We have an election coming. We win still do election victory (party) because we are confident that we will win. We are sure if you work real hard as we are working now, we desire the joy of victory.”
Shortly after giving his speech, the APC candidate excused himself in order to meet up with 9.45 pm appointment with the president.
As of the time of filing this report, details of the meeting have not been made public.