Tinubu: Atiku and I ‘not struggling’ for APC BoT

Bola Tinubu, national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says he is not engaged in political struggle with Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, over the chairmanship of the ruling party’s board of trustees.

Addressing journalists at the presidential villa after a private meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, Tinubu described reports of infighting over position in the APC as “rumours”.

“Don’t listen to rumous, there is no struggle. Our party is not even looking at the direction of power struggle or anything of such,” he said.

Responding to the allegations of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that Buhari was returning the country to the era of dictatorship, he said: “If they don’t have anything to say, they rather be quiet. They created what is wrong here today and we cannot sweep that under the carpet. There must be rule of law.

“What is dictatorship about what he has done? He has helped to stimulate the economy in the various states and that is where the people are.

“So, what is dictatorship? And the institutional paralysis had occurred in the country. It is very important for a steady man like the president to really help the nation recover from the paralysis and that is what he is doing. So, I don’t see what is dictatorial about that. He was elected on a platform of democracy and he has adhered to rule of law so far.”

Tinubu denied visiting Aso Rock to present a list of ministerial nominees to the president.

Responding to a question on the issue, he said: “What can I do about that? They have the right to speculate, they have the right to their lies and I have the right to debunk”.