The former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, has denied rumours that his former principal, Bola Tinubu, is sick and not in a stable condition to lead the country in the next four years.
OsunDaily News reports that a series of questions have been raised concerning the health status of the President-elect in the build-up to the 2023 presidential election.
Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Sunday, Fashola said Tinubu is in France resting and enjoying his holiday, adding that he had a discussion with him a week ago.
The Minister of Works and Housing said his former boss needs the break after he ran the most contested presidential primary and the longest and fiercest campaign.
Fashola said Tinubu will be doing a lot of networking, planning ahead, and building relationships that will be useful to his government internationally
He said: “I spoke with him a week ago, he is in France and he is alright. Since 2002 when he hurts his back, almost every time he had traveled, the opposition had said he had died, but he still comes back alive, he will be back soon.
“I believe that he is taken some time out and he needs it, he ran the longest and fiercest campaign, his primary was the most contested and after it, he went about making peace with all those who were unsuccessful, he just ran this marathon like a sprint.
“Bola Tinubu that I know will also be doing networking, there is no idle moment in his life. He overworked himself, I know he will be doing lots of networking, meeting people, planning ahead, and building relationships that will be useful to his government internationally and he is a highly connected person. Tinubu is okay medically.”
On Tinubu’s style of governance, Fashola said Tinubu will be clearly different from President Muhammadu Buhari in running his government because he is very nocturnal, detailed, and micro-manages.
Fashola said his experience working with Tinubu as his Chief of Staff in Lagos showed that the president-elect had day and night schedules and was tough to control his busy schedules.
He said: “For those who are going to work with him, let me warn them, he is very nocturnal and I hope he changes, so he will wake you up, he does his best work in the dead of the night unless you can push back and claim your space at night, he will encroach it, he is very detailed, he micro-manages, more than President Buhari.
“Imagine there are two football coaches, Buhari is the type of president, a football coach that will prepare his team and go and sit in the coaches’ dug and watch them play for 90 minutes, he trusts them to do the job and believe there is nothing he can do.
“Asiwaju will be that kind of coach playing the game with them like Mourinho. These are the two differences you will see between them. One prepares, one delegates completely, and one delegates and stays with you and each one has his strength.”
