By Paul Effiong. Former Governor of Lagos state and national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has debunked report in a section of the media to the effect that he was gearing up for a presidential run in 2019.
According to Tunde Rahman, Media Aide to Mr. Tinubu, the report was in bad taste and aimed at placing the APC leader at odds with the incumbent Muhammadu Buhari.
Prompt News Online recalls that Mr Tinubu had while fielding questions from newsmen at the inauguration of Ondo state governor Rotimi Akeredolu, said he would not hesitate to run for political office in future be it senatorial and even presidential provided there is vacancy.
“You see, there is nothing wrong with such ambition. It depends on the timing and the environment and what political leadership dictates.
‘’I will not brush aside such an aspiration….Maybe as a senator, maybe as a president, you cannot rule it out.
‘’How can I rule such a thing out? The opportunity to serve my country. But you only do that when there is vacancy,” Mr Tinubu told reporters in Akure
But in a statement on Tuesday, his media aide insisted these statements could not be interpreted to mean that Tinubu is preparing to run for presidency in 2019.
The statement by Tunde Rahman reads in part, “The front page story of the February 28 THISDAY newspaper alleging that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is actively planning a presidential run is an example of bad fiction masquerading as professional journalism.
“The story is a manufactured tale weaved by its authors to try to create division where there is none. Those who wrote this fantasy seek to place Asiwaju Tinubu at odds with President Buhari. Writing such a baseless report is a very foul and wrong thing to do.
“The story carried the headline “Tinubu Prepares for Presidential Run, Dumps PDP, Mega Party Alliance”. The headline is remarkable in the fact that every bit of it is utterly wrong.
“First, Asiwaju Tinubu is not gearing up for a presidential run. So there will not be any doubt about this core matter, we shall state Tinubu’s position clearly and unequivocally so that even THISDAY reporters cannot misinterprete his position. 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.
“The headline also libels Asiwaju by asserting he was going to join the PDP. This is as shameless as a lie can be. Asiwaju is acknowledged to be the intellectual father and the driving force behind the APC. It makes no sense that he would abandon the party that he worked hard to build in order to enter the dilapidated building the PDP has become. “Asiwaju worked for over 16 years to break the PDP yoke on the nation. After breaking that yoke, it is not in his nature to voluntarily place it back on our necks. Anyone who has followed his career, even his staunchest critics, knows Asiwaju for his partisan consistency. He is not a party hopper. He is loyal and sticks with the party to which he belongs. After fighting for so many years to elevate his party to the position of national leadership, he would not give that away in order to join with those who blame him for their currently bleak political circumstance.
“We understand all too well the genesis of this false news report. For their own reasons, THISDAY has joined with those who seek to put Asiwaju Tinubu at odds with our President.
“This scam will fail. Asiwaju supports and stands behind President Buhari. He wishes the president well and that he returns soon. Whether the president is here or away, he has the full loyalty of Asiwaju Tinubu. President Buhari can rest assured on this point: Asiwaju Tinubu will never contest against him nor will he support anyone who does.”
