Posted on: 11:04 Wed, 01 Mar 2017

Following viral reports that suggested he will contest against Buhari in the 2019 presidential elections, Bola Tinubu has reacted.



Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the Leader of All Progressives Congress, APC, has yesterday, vowed never to contest the Presidency against President Muhammadu Buhari.

It will be recalled that viral news report went round recently that he will contest in the 2019 elections
Tinubu noted that a popular newspaper report to the contrary was conjured to put him at odds with the President.

In a strongly worded rebuttal to the news report by the daily, Tinubu affirmed his unwavering loyalty to Buhari, saying permutations of him defecting were ignorant of his consistent political principles.

The daily in its front page report, Tuesday, had alleged that Tinubu had stepped up plans to contest the presidential election, irrespective of Buhari’s intentions, saying he had pencilled down three possible running mates, including Governor Aminu Tambuwal, Senator Abu Ibrahim and Serikin Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

Tinubu in his reaction issued by Mr. Tunde Rahman, his Media Assistant, said: “The story is a manufactured tale weaved by its authors to try to create division where there is none.

Those who wrote this fantasy piece seek to place Asiwaju Tinubu at odds with President Buhari. Writing such a baseless report is a very foul and wrong thing to do.

“As long as that patriotic and committed man named Muhammadu Buhari holds and seeks to hold the mantle as our president, then Asiwaju Tinubu stands behind him in unwavering support and confidence.

“Asiwaju Tinubu remains faithful to the mission of progressive reform and change that President Buhari, he and the All Progressives Congress, APC, have started. Tinubu was instrumental in the formation and success of the APC.
“His toil and efforts helped establish this government. He is not one to tear down something he laboured so dutifully to build.”

Noting that the report aimed to skew the banter the APC leader had with reporters in Akure last weekend, he said the report
“opted to gain false sensation by completely mocking the tenor of the brief banter Asiwaju Tinubu had with journalists at the inauguration of Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

“When asked about future political office, Asiwaju said he could not discount that possibility if the nation called upon him for such service, provided, he emphasized, that all political conditions were appropriate; particularly the office in question would have to be vacant, even if it’s local government chairmanship.
“In our political lexicon, this means the office is not held by a member of the APC in good standing. We all know this.

“Moreover, if you really listen to his words, Asiwaju did not mention any office or any time-frame. The conditions he mentioned may not become ripe for years to come and they might not pertain to the Presidency. In effect, all Asiwaju said was the position that any political figure would hold.