Presidency says not referring to Tinubu on “sitting in Lagos and dictating APC zoning”

The Presidency has clarified the statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari to the effect that someone cannot stay in Lahos and decide APC zoning.

It described the report referring to the statement as a veiled reference to a National leader of the APC in Lagos, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as mischievous and outright malicious.

The presidency stated that it was a malicious campaign to drive a wedge between the President and a staunch ally, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The reference was picked from a statement (an exsmple) Buhari made on ARISE NEWS Channel interview that nobody would determine zoning and where the next President would come from.

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Presidential spokesperson, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement Thursday night, clarified that it was a mischievous attempt to drag the President into controversies and urged the citizens and especially the members of the APC not to fall for this.

Read him: “The ruling party, the APC, unlike others before it is a popular political party owned by its entire membership, hence Mr President was making the point during the 45-minute interview that neither he nor anyone in the leadership could impose their wishes on the party.

“This is a basic consensus that binds the entire party leadership. The party leaders remain firmly committed to the principles that succession must be through the democratic norms and processes.

“The mention he made of Lagos was not a reference to the respected party leader, Senator Bola Tinubu as the opposition party’s predatory designs would put it in order to damage the excellent relationship between the two of them.

“The President, the Asiwaju and the rapidly growing members of the party want a dynastic succession of elected leaders.The APC should not be distracted from its progress as a democratic party.”