Senate President Bukola Saraki on Monday said Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the national leader of All Progressives Congress, APC is supporting the second term bid of president Muhammadu Buhari for the selfish motive of taking over from him in 2023.
Saraki said this in response to allegation by Tinubu yesterday that he defected from the ruling APC because of his ambition to contest for the presidency in 2019.
But while refuting the claim, Saraki, in a statement on Monday said Tinubu, like him, had expressed his disappointment with the performance of the President when he met his as the head of the APC’s reconciliation committee.
He, however, claimed that Tinubu said he would remain in the party so that power will shift to the Southwest come 2023.
In his words, “However, during those meetings, the point of disagreement between me and him was that, while I expressed worries that there was nothing on ground to assure me that the administrative style and attitude would change in the next four years in a manner that will enable us deliver the positive changes we promised to our people, he (Tinubu) expressed a strong opinion that he would rather ‘support a Buhari on the hospital stretcher’ to get a second term because in 2023, power will shift to the South-west.
“This Tinubu’s viewpoint was not only expressed to me but to several of my colleagues. So much for acting in national interest.
“It is clear that while my own decision was based on protecting collective, national interest, Tinubu will rather live with the identified inadequacies in the government for the sake of fulfilling and preserving his presidential ambition in 2023.
“This new position of Tinubu has only demonstrated inconsistency, particularly when one reviews his antecedents over the years.”
Saraki said the former Lagos governor was still angry over the fact that he (Saraki) was one of those who opposed Tinubu’s bid to emerge as the running mate of candidate Buhari in 2014.
“It should be noted that he has not forgotten the fact that I took the bull by the horns and told him that in the interest of the country, he should accept the need for the party to present a balanced ticket for the 2015 general elections in terms of religion and geo-political zones.
“Since that time, he has been very active, plotting at every point to undermine me, within and outside the National Assembly.”
“Again, let me reiterate my position that my uncertain and complex relationship with Tinubu has been continually defined by the event of 2014 when myself and other leaders of the APC opposed the Muslim-Muslim ticket arrangement about to be foisted on the APC for the 2015 polls.
“It is a surprise to me that Asiwaju Tinubu is still peddling the falsehood about the fact that my defection is about automatic ticket and sharing of resources. Members of the public will recall that when the issue of my decision to quit APC came to the fore and many APC leaders were holding meetings with me, a newspaper owned by the same Tinubu published a false report about the promise of automatic tickets, oil blocks and other benefits. I immediately rebutted their claims and categorically stated that I never discussed any such personal and pecuniary benefits with anybody. My challenge that anybody who has contrary facts should come forward with them still remains open.
“It should be known that Democracy is a system that allows people to freely make their choices. It is my choice that I have decided to join others to present a viable alternative platform for Nigerians in the coming elections. Tinubu and leaders of the APC had better respect this decision or lawfully deal with it. As for me, Allah gives power to whom He wishes. Human beings can only aspire and strive to fulfill their aspirations.”
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