The Lagos state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed allegations by the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) against national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, noting that all stories about his 2023 presidential ambition are based on assumptions.
Recall that the CNG had said in a statement by its spokesman, Abdulazeez Suleiman, accused Tinubu of double speaking on the unity of the country in a bid to enhance his presidential ambition in 2023.
Reacting on Wednesday, factional chairman of the party in the state, Fouad Oki, said Tinubu had demonstrated his love for the other tribes in the country by facilitating the appointment of Igbos into key cabinet positions in Lagos State and beyond.
“Perhaps they forgot that the current director-general of the Budget Office, Mr. Ben Akabueze, an Igbo man from the southeast, served under Tinubu for eight years as Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, just as Mr. Joe Igbokwe, who is also an Igbo man served as Lagos APC publicity secretary and is now a commissioner-designate under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the instance of the national leader. There are numerous Igbo people that have deep political affinities with Tinubu like Pat Utomi, Senator Godswill Akpabio and others.
According to Oki, all the stories about Tinubu’s 2023 presidential ambition are based on assumption, and unfortunately they are indirectly promoting him, stressing that Tinubu is yet to declare his intention to contest for the presidency.
On the alleged attack on Igbo during the last general election and directive that Igbo must leave Lagos if they failed to vote for APC in 2015, Oki said: “These are mere mundane stories and unnecessary sentiments. Is CNG aware that in 2015 and 2019, the same Tinubu had a series of meetings with Igbo representatives in Lagos before, during, and after the elections?
“Suleiman and his people must realise that anything can happen as far as politics is concerned. And in any case, would they also say that it was Tinubu who instigated the October 1 2017 ultimatum that Igbo should leave the north?”