The National Leader of All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, has disclosed that he told the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), he wanted to step in his shoes and not on his toes.
Tinubu said this on Saturday while speaking at the Palace of the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, in Abeokuta when he paid him a visit to seek his royal blessing on his presidential ambition.
Tinubu had during his visit to Buhari at the Aso Villa in January declared his ambition to succeed Buhari in 2023.
The former governor of Lagos State, who arrived at the palace of the Alake at 4.35pm, went straight into a private meeting with the monarch.
He had earlier paid a similar visit to the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona at his Ijebu-Ode palace.
Addressing the monarch, Tinubu said, he decided to express his intention to Buhari following calls from his supporters and friends to run for President.
Tinubu said he did not want his ambition to create bad blood between himself and Buhari, saying he did not want to offend the President by “pulling the carpet from his feet”.
The APC leader said, “I told the President I want to replace you and I don’t want to offend you. I told the President that I want to step in his shoes but not step on his toes.
“I told him as the number one citizen, I should start my Presidential bid by informing you first, and he (Buhari) told me to inform the whole world, and I have done that.”