Asiwaju Bola Tinubu

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has denied saying he was ready to fight dirty with political opponents. However, on Monday, his Media Aide, Mr Tunde Rahman, said that the media report, captioned, “I’m ready to get dirty – Tinubu” was given a savage twist to confuse the public.

Tinubu paid a visit on Sunday, 20 February, to the Olubadan-Designate, Sen. Lekan Balogun, in Ibadan where he reacted to the broadsides against him. That day the All Progressives Congress leader spoke, using the symbol of a pig, saying “if you decide to wrestle with the pig, you must be ready to get dirty.”

To twist the statement to mean that he was ready to fight dirty was, according to Rahman, inaccurate and erroneous. He added: “Sadly, the wrong headline and story have been latched on by some online platforms/blogs and commentators to pour invective on my person. These commentaries and remarks are unfortunate because they are groundless, misinformed and misdirected. Hence, this clarification has become imperative.”

However, here is what Tinubu said: “Kabiyesi, all I have come for is to beg you to continue to pray for me, the entire Yoruba race and the country.

“I am out to become the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and there is a wise saying that if you want to wrestle with the pig, be ready to get dirty and deal with the poo-poo.

“I am ready to get dirty. No intimidation, no blackmail, no sort of insult will get me angry to the extent that I will say no more, I don’t want again.”

Therefore, Tinubu advised the media, that their duty “as the Fourth Estate of the Realm is a sacred one which must be guarded jealously.”