24 hours after Abeokuta outburst, Tinubu says: I did not insult Buhari

T WENTY-FOUR hours after his outburst in Abeokuta, Ogun State, regarding his role in the emergence of Muhammadu Buhari as the president of the country in 2015, leader and presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, has declared that he had “high regard and respect” for President Buhari and did not insult him. 

In a statement personally signed by him on Friday, Tinubu accused his opponents of attempting to present a narrative that he was disrespectful to President Buhari with his comments in the hope that such a narrative would convince the president to oppose his aspiration at Monday’s presidential primary of the ruling party. 

He, however, said Buhari was an experienced and accomplished leader and he did not believe that the president would be deceived by the tricks of such people. 

His statement reads in part: “We have entered the meat of primary season. Sensationalism and willful inaccuracy tend to push aside truth during such moments. I make this statement so that truth and accuracy may have a chance. It is important that people truly know what I said and where I stand. Whatever view you have of me is within your right to make. But let it be based on truth and not on falsehood or reckless exaggeration. There have been gross misinterpretations in some sectors of the media regarding comments I made on Thursday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. 

“To a degree, the erroneous interpretations may be somewhat innocent given that I spoke in Yoruba. Those who do not understand the nuances of this richly layered and subtly language may have inadvertently yet erroneously missed the true meaning of what I said while attempting to translate my statement. 

“Instead of weighing what I said carefully, they translated so quickly and thus inaccurately in an attempt to meet media deadlines. Of course, there are also those who knew better but they conveyed these inaccuracies because the sensationalism suits their political purposes. 

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“Again, such propaganda and misinformation becomes daily fare in the heat of the political season. Let’s just state what needs to be stated. My opponents want to present a narrative that I made comments disrespectful of President Muhammadu Buhari in hopes that such a narrative would convince President Buhari to oppose my aspirations regarding the approaching primary. President Buhari is an experienced and accomplished leader. I do not believe he will be taken by the tricks of such people. 

“Let me also erase any doubt. My respect and regard for President Buhari as Commander-in- chief of this nation and as a person are high and unfailing. I shall never denigrate him. I certainly did not do so in Abeokuta. We have been political partners for a long time and I hope that partnership continues well into the future. I would do nothing to jeopardize it. 

“I believe our party is the best hope for the nation to right itself. I believe I have a future role larger than the one I now have. I also believe President Buhari has a continuing and important role to play even after his tenure as president is over. 

“Indeed, I consistently supported the president and his administration. Even when the administration has come under intense criticism, my feet have always been planted solidly in defence of the president. 

“The president personally nominated me to coordinate his re-election campaign in 2019. He did this not because I opposed him or because I was indifferent. He did so because I was firmly with him in 2015 and has stood firmly beside him ever since. 

“When I publicly announced my aspiration to seek the party nomination for the upcoming presidential election, I stressed that my strategic objective was to build on the foundation laid by the Buhari administration. In fact, I believe I was the first aspirant to inform President Buhari of this presidential intention. It was a sign of the respect I have for him and his office. 

“It is unthinkable that I would asperse the leader of the party for which I hope to be the next flag bearer. It makes no sense at all to do such an indelicate, unseemly thing. In Abeokuta, I spoke to the unwarranted attacks against my person that have been part of the campaign of others. I also recounted the history of the party for those whose memories need repair. 

“There are many who had no role in the birth of the APC and in its many victories. Now that the party has climbed the political summit, they want to claim credit for something they had no part in.”