After raising political temperatures in the country on Thursday, with his searing address, presidential hopeful and former governor of Lagos state, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been attempting to walk back the comments he made in Ogun state, saying he has been largely misinterpreted by the public.
The Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Presidential Campaign Organisation has through a statement signed by the campaign Director of Media & Communications, Bayo Onanuga, on Friday, clarified that the former governor’s comments were not aimed at ridiculing anyone but to inform the delegates about how he brought his political clout and strategic skills to assist individuals, groups and tendencies in the party to gain political power.
On Thursday, Tinubu while addressing delegates of the Ogun state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) reeled out how he put Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, among others, in Nigeria’s political limelight.
The former president also recounted how he pulled Buhari out of his political retirement and led the ‘war’ that eventually made him the President in 2015.
The comments have since been generating massive reactions from Nigerians, with many saying that Tinubu may have decided to go for broke, after sensing he may be losing the opportunity to achieve his ‘lifelong ambition’ to be president of Nigeria.
However, in a statement issued of Friday, Tinubu has clarified that his comments have been misinterpreted by some mischief makers in the party.
He said his speech in Ogun bordered on his huge contributions to the formation and electoral success of the APC and how they should count in his favour to emerge as the flagbearer of the party.
Read the full statement below;
The attention of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Presidential Campaign Organisation has been drawn to the erroneous, misleading and mischievous interpretation of his address in Abeokuta, capital of Ogun State on Thursday.
It is on record that the leading presidential aspirant in the forthcoming primaries of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu addressed the national delegates of the party in Ogun State, with Governor Mr.Dapo Abiodun in attendance.
In his effort to convince the party delegates to vote for him at the primaries, he went down memory lane to provide specific instances when he brought his political clout and strategic skills to assist individuals, groups and tendencies in the party to gain political power.
These factual references are already in the public realm.
They have been reported and analysed in the media in the last eight years.
They are therefore, matters of public knowledge.
While we recognise that recent unexpected interventions in the time table and the heat generated by the proximity of the event might have led to some anxiety, this campaign organisation believes that the main thrust of Asiwaju’s presentation, was that his huge contributions to the formation and electoral success of the All Progressives Congress should count in his favour as a true party man who desires to be the flag bearer.
There is also no doubt that the fresh conditions proposed by President Muhammadu Buhari for the consideration of a presidential candidate of the party made it necessary for Asiwaju to labour to convince the delegates that he fits the bill.
The campaign was surprised at the way the opposition and Tinubu’s traducers had turned his statement to give an interpretation Tinubu did not mean and did not say.
At no time did Tinubu play any ethnic card or denigrate any ethnic group. That is surely out of his character, as Engineer David Babachir Lawal, attested in his viral whatsApp statement.
Tinubu’s speech in Abeokuta did not demonstrate any disrespect to President Buhari, for whom he has a very high regard, and whose re-election campaign he chaired in 2019.
Since the video of the speech he delivered in Yoruba hit the social media, varied interpretations have been given to the speech, which in the main was about Governor Abiodun, who in the true tradition of Yoruba culture bowed to his leader after Tinubu’s short speech.
The Tinubu campaign is not surprised why the opposition in the APC have decided to turn and twist the statement.
The former Lagos governor, a great party man remains the man to beat at the party’s convention on Monday.
We are least surprised that he is the target of well-calculated and most unkind virulent attacks.
The campaign organisation hereby appeals to the media to avoid over- sensationalising issues of facts and play its constitutional role of informing the electorate to make informed choices at the presidential primaries.
Bayo Onanuga
Director
Media & Communications
