Africa richest man and billionaire businessman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has declared that he has no interest in politics, advising that politicians and political parties should leave him alone and stop dropping his name.
Dangote, who is the President/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dangote Group of Companies, specifically warned that nobody should set him on a collision course with President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The business mogul stated this while reacting to The Daily Times exclusive report 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.
Dangote spoke during a telephone interview with The Daily Times in Abuja on Thursday. 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 has 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 also disclosed that those who are jealous of successes so far recorded by him in business are the ones desperately trying to link him with the 2019 presidential election.
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.
“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”.
Continuing, 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”. Ahead of 2019 general elections, high wire politics has begun while politicians have started endless meeting in order to position themselves for different elective posts.
But the sudden return of Buhari from medical vacation in London has changed the permutations as the President’s body language and the rousing welcome for him by the ordinary people are now causing some ripples in the political circles.
