BOLA Tinubu, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday broke his silence on the leadership crisis rocking the party, berating those suggesting that the latest development in the party has thwarted his 2023 presidential ambition.

“To those who have been actively bleating how the President’s actions and the NEC meeting have ended my purported 2023 ambitions, I seek your pity,” Tinubu said in a 1, 861 words of four-page article titled “Becoming The Party We Were Intended he personally signed.

“I am but a mere mortal who does not enjoy the length of foresight or political wisdom you profess to have. Already, you have assigned colourful epitaphs to the 2023 death of an alleged political ambition that is not yet even born.

“At this extenuating moment with COVID-19 and its economic fallout hounding us, I cannot see as far into the distance as you. I have made no decision regarding 2023 for the concerns of this hour are momentous enough.”

Tinubu said the decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party was an indication that APC was gradually becoming the party it was intended to be.

He admitted that the internal leadership crisis of the party had culminated and endangered the performance of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

“Yet, we must acknowledge that something important has gone off track. For some months we have experienced growing disagreement within the leadership of the party. This unfortunate competition had grown so intense as to impair the performance of the NWC, thus undermining the internal cohesion and discipline vital to success,” he said.

“Yet, such intramural fighting has come to occupy the attention of many high ranking party officials and members.”

“The National Working Committee, itself, became riven by unnecessary conflict. Those who disagreed with one another stopped trying to find common ground. Attempts were made to use the power of executive authority to bury each other. I must be blunt here. This is the behaviour of a fight club not the culture of a progressive political party.”

On President Muhammadu Buhari’s intervention in the party’s leadership crisis, Tinubu  described it as a needed effort at a moment where there were numerous lawsuits filed by party members to an extent where the president was compelled to intervene.

“With lawsuits so numerous, one needed a spreadsheet to keep track, President Buhari has reasonably decided that he has seen enough.”

“I do not lament his intervention or its outcome. I lament that the situation degenerated to the point where he felt compelled to intervene.”

Tinubu also disclosed that his current ambition has been devoted to thinking of policies that may help Nigeria find balance out of the global pandemic and the current economic downturn.

“During this period, I have not busied myself with politicking regarding 2023. I find that a bit distasteful and somewhat uncaring particularly when so many of our people have been unbalanced by the twin public health and economic crises we face,” he said.

“I have devoted these last few months to thinking of policies that may help the nation in the here and now. What I may or may not do 3 years hence seems too remote given present exigencies.”