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… Submits list of Presidential Campaign Council
The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu has dispelled the rumour of rift between the party’s national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu and himself as untrue.
Tinubu who recounted his relationship with Abdullahi as state governors also submitted the list of the presidential campaign council even as he pleaded for understanding with some party leaders who couldn’t make the list.
Tinubu who kept members of the National Working Committee, NWC waiting since 8am eventually arrived at 2.45pm amidst tight security and long vehicular convoy, and went straight to the National chairman’s office for a private meeting which also lasted for another two hours.
While addressing the NWC, the presidential candidate debunked the rumours of rift with the national chairman, saying: “To the rumour manufacturers, I read in some papers about disagreement between myself and the chairman and that was a very big lie. They didn’t know that we have come a long way. The big masquerade dances not in the cage but in the market square. And that is what Adamu used to be, full of wisdom, we were governors together, before God put us together on this project again.
“He is going to deliver as the Chairman of the party for me to become the president of Nigeria. And I am very confident of that. They can say whatever they want to say, throw all the jabs that they want, we are a party strongly determined to fulfil our dreams of turning Nigeria to a very progressive, highly developed, prosperous country.”
While also commenting on the composition of the campaign council, Tinubu said, “What we came here today to do is to discuss the campaign which is few days away. When INEC will lift the ban, how do we work out the details, work together, implement all we have been saying, who are the members of the campaign council, who will not be members, and I beg you not to be angry if you are left out because we are going to give you another responsibility. Not every member here can be a member of the presidential campaign council.
“On behalf of myself, the team of the presidential campaign council, let me commend the DG and Secretary of the campaign that have worked very hard to bring this report about the organisation structure. If they (report) need panel beating, you do so. It is not a red card that we brought. We are going to bring brighter hope and confidence to the country.”
The APC Presidential Candidate while also addressing the press reiterated that there is no bickering amongst the leadership of the party and that he’ll be unveiling some other of his programs after the elections.
He said, “Let election be over. That’s one step. We have to comply with INEC and regulations regarding the elections, when we finish that, we will unveil to you those things that we have in plan for the country and our objectives, our creed, our commitment should be development and our commitment to transformation, and our determination to bring help to the teeming Nigerians
“We are not threatened. We are committed and we are very proud of ourselves, we are orderly manner, we are committed to democratic principles and values; we are not bickering in any way and you know that. Can you say that of the other parties? We are not spewing fake statistics and wrong figures, can you say that of other parties? Well, we are what we are, a progressive party.
“This meeting is to consult further, the organisation structure for the campaign for us to harmonise any fear and to make sure that we have an inclusive all party and all hands on deck to make sure that we are victorious during the election.
“It is a great matter of joy and honour for us to be here, especially me in particular, to interact with the team that authorised my becoming the candidate of our party. I have not been able to say sincerely thank you since that primary and we have hit ground running, especially as the unveiling of our running mate was held outside this headquarters.
“To all the members in attendance that day, we want to say thank you. We have come together as a political party and we have taken progressivism as our doctrine. We have to be progressive in our thinking, our did and objective to serve the country.
“Yes, I admit that democracy is challenging, very hard and difficult a system to manage. We have seen challenges left and right outside international sphere of politics, but we are determined to ensure that we democratise Nigeria fully and remain a beckon of democracy as the largest nation of black race in the world.”
In his welcome address, APC National Chairman, Adamu said, “It is the wish of Allah that we all are alive today.
“There was a gap in time before this meeting due to tradition and practice. We had a brief meeting before we come to the mines field.
We had some briefs from the presidential candidate. These briefs are very useful and important.”