President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said that neither he nor the All Progressives Congress (APC) machinery were working to destroy a national leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu.
He said any suggestions that the President and the party machinery were working to destroy Tinubu had no foundation in truth or any credibility, explaining that the President was impressed by Tinubu’s assurance not to work against the party in the just concluded Ondo governorship election and he honoured his words.
The media became awash with rumours of Tinubu plotting to ensure APC lost the Ondo State governorship election the moment his anointed aspirant, Segun Abraham, lost the party’s governorship ticket to Rotimi Akeredolu and his subsequent call for the National Chairman of the party Chief John Odigie-Oyegun to resignation.
Despite Abraham remaining in APC, many had rumoured that Tinubu was supporting Olusola Oke, another APC aspirant who lost the primary and dumped the party over alleged irregularities that characterised the party primary.
But President Buhari, who was impressed at Tinubu’s congratulatory message to Akeredolu, said there was no truth in reports suggesting that he and the leadership of the APC are at loggerheads with Tinubu.
The President, who stated this in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, described such reports as “unfounded and mischievous”, adding that he was highly embarrassed by such reports because he was in regular contact with Tinubu before, during and after the recent Ondo State governorship election.
The Presidential Media Aide also explained that President Buhari regards Tinubu as a priceless political asset to the party whose immeasurable contributions to the development and progress of the ruling party are known to all.
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“Any suggestions that the President and the party machinery were working to destroy Tinubu had no foundation in truth or any credibility,” Shehu said.
“President Buhari commended Tinubu’s spirit of comradeship in promptly congratulating Rotimi Akeredolu who was elected Governor.
“The President also noted that at a time his administration is preoccupied with governance issues, rumours of divisions and alleged scheming within the party is counterproductive to internal unity and cohesion in APC. He appealed to APC members and supporters to ignore rumours that could harm party unity,” part of the statement read.
