Mallam Ya’u Darazo, Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Special Duties, has urged Nigerians, especially members of the All Progressives Congress, to ignore the malicious attempt by the opponents of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to misrepresent what he told party leaders and delegates in Abeokuta, Ogun State on Thursday.
Darazo, in a statement he signed in his personal capacity as supporter of the presidential ambition of Tinubu, noted that the distortion of what the frontline presidential aspirant said was a dubious attempt to cause discord between him and President Buhari.
The Senior Presidential aide started his statement with public disclosure by stating he was speaking for himself as a member of the team working for Tinubu’s campaign.
“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!!”
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While addressing party delegates and supporters in Abeokuta, Tinubu recalled his contribution to the formation of APC and how his support made it possible for President Buhari to be elected President in 2015 having lost in 3 previous attempts in 2003, 2007 and 2011. Tinubu’s address which was made in Yoruba was taken out of context by opponents and mischief makers to damage his standing with the President.
Darazo noted in his statement that President Buhari can see through the mischief having been a victim of misrepresentation himself in the past and no ill-motivated plot can destroy the relationship between Buhari and Tinubu.
“In the last 48 hours or so the media space has been polluted by the odious breath of mischief makers-nay ingrates? Who misrepresented 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 with 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 misrepresenting Asiwaju’s Statement they will get the sympathy of the President; they have failed again—and failed woefully.
Citing examples of how President Buhari had been unfairly misrepresented in the past just to damage him politically, Darazo revealed that Buhari was presented to Nigerians as a religious bigot when he addressed a Muslim event in Sokoto in 2002.