2019 Election: PDP is pressurizing me for Presidential position – Dangote

The Nigerian business tycoon and magnate, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, expressed his dissatisfaction over Peoples Democratic Party’s pressures on him to be the flag bearer of the party for the 2019 presidential election.

He told the political party that he has no interest in politics and advised the politicians to leave him alone and stop dropping his name.

The business mogul warned that nobody should set him on a collision course with President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Dangote stated this while reacting to The Daily Times report in Abuja on Thursday, that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its leaders are mounting pressures on him to come and contest for the 2019 presidential election on its platform.

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It was learnt that members of a think tank committee of the PDP put in place by former President Goodluck Jonathan were said to be wooing Dangote on the issue. But Dangote made it clear that his primary interest, which he had always made known to everybody, is business with the goal of providing jobs for millions of people in addition to wealth creation.

He said: “I am an entrepreneur. My passion is to create jobs for Nigerians and not otherwise.”

He asserted that those who are jealous of his success in business are the ones desperately trying to link him with the 2019 presidential election, saying his passion is to create jobs and wealth.

Dangote said: “I am not interested in politics and this is authoritative. No member of any think tank committee has contacted me. People should stop dropping my name for the 2019 presidency. This whole thing is an attempt by people who do not like me.”

“They are doing all these with a view to putting me on a collision course with President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling party. They are people who are jealous of the successes I have so far recorded in business. My passion is for business development, provision of jobs and wealth creation, not politics. I have never shown interest in politics. Am not interested in politics. I am not a politician. My passion has always been business and business.”

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“Buhari is like a father to me. Nobody should try to set me on a collision course with President Buhari. That will not work. I have high regard and respect for the President.

“For emphasis once again, I am not a politician. I can’t and won’t confront President Buhari. They should leave him out of any high wire politics and horse trading. I also seize this opportunity to warn name droppers to desist from their infamous act. They should stop using my name for politics. They should not set me on collision course with President Buhari and the government in power”.

Dangote said: “By the time the ongoing Dangote refinery in Lagos and the sugar projects come on stream fully, there will be a great positive development and thousands of jobs created that will change the narrative in the country. That is my passion”.