Presidential aide: Tinubu’s comment on Buhari acceptable, politically relevant

Ya’u Darazo, a presidential aide, has described the comments of Bola Tinubu on President Muhammadu Buhari as “acceptable and politically relevant”.

At the meeting with party delegates on Thursday in Ogun state, Tinubu said without him, Buhari would have lost the 2015 presidential election.

The outburst has stirred a plethora of reactions from political figures within and outside the party.

Abdullahi Adamu, national chairman of APC, described Tinubu’s utterance as “insulting”, adding that the presidential hopeful may be punished by the party if deemed necessary.

Reacting to the development in a statement released on Saturday, Darazo said Tinubu’s remarks have been “misinterpreted with the sole aim of planting discord between him and President Muhammadu Buhari”.

“Let me start with a disclaimer. I am issuing this statement in my personal capacity. This is very important before mischief-makers start attributing it to some other persons. For the avoidance of doubts, I am a supporter of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I, therefore, belong to the team assiduously working for Asiwaju’s 2023 Presidential Project. On his mandate I stand,” the statement reads.

“In the last 48 hours or so the media space has been polluted by the odious breath of mischief makers-nay ingrates? Who mispresented Asiwaju’s speech with the sole aim of planting discord between him and President Muhammadu Buhari. In their mischievous mind, that would earn them added advantage in the primaries for the ticket of the APC.

“I have a message for them. They have failed woefully. They should not take Nigerians for granted; Nigerians are wise enough. Let the mischief-makers note that, good and purposeful leadership is not on the same page as mischief. It’s good that Nigerians know them early enough. It’s very clear that their purpose of seeking leadership is not service driven.

“I was with Asiwaju in Abeokuta among other good people of Ogun state when he delivered the speech in question. It was in Yoruba Language. It was later translated to me—which I found quite acceptable and politically relevant to the audience and even beyond. Truth is sacred. If the mischief-makers think that by mispresenting Asiwaju’s statement they will get the sympathy of the president; they have failed again—and failed woefully.

“President Buhari is not a stranger to the bashing of media mischief. He is a veteran. He passed through it. He suffered from it like no other leader in this country. When he sees media mischief, he would know it; certainly, like this one against Asiwaju.”