Baraje: Buhari is being fed with lies

Kawu Baraje, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says some members of the ruling party have been feeding President Muhammadu Buhari with lies, advising the president to strengthen his network of information.

Responding to a scorching letter which Bisi Akande, former interim chairman of the APC, wrote on Monday, Baraje expressed disappointment, warning Akande to guide his utterances in order not to fan the embers of discord.

In the letter, Akande alleged that the rebellion in the senate is being viewed in the south-west as a northern conspiracy against the Yoruba.

“Akande also said he had it on good authority that unnamed allies of Baraje were plotting to hijack the national assembly with the hope of resuscitating the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2019 election.

But in his response, Baraje, former acting chairman of the PDP, who led five governors from the former ruling party to APC, denied the allegation, saying he is being targeted for challenging the overbearing position of “Akande and co”.

Akande and co believe that they have exclusive right to determine who occupies what position in today’s Nigeria and whoever tries to challenge their position must be subjected to savage attack in the media. That tactic is definitely undemocratic,” he said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

“My worry has been that President Buhari is being fed with lies and stories that are dangerous to the polity. My fears have now been confirmed with Akande’s statement

“It is my prayer that the president should strengthen his information gathering network, so as to have a clear and true picture of what is happening.

“I am also appealing to Chief Akande and his cohorts to demonstrate more commitment to our party by exposing the president to the truth that would assist him in taking good decisions. I hope that this appeal will be heeded.”

Baraje wondered why Akande who initially agreed that a certain APC leader from the south-west deserves to be cautioned, is now singing a different song.

“Akande has been playing a role which I admire. He will recall that he met some actors, with a governor from the north-west and a leader of the party from the south-west, where the leader from the south-west was cautioned to be reasonable in this crisis,” he said.

“He supported the view of the governor from the North-west that the particular leader from the South-west should be admonished for his action. It is therefore surprising that Akande is now being economical with the truth and painting a picture that exists only in his imagination.”