Tinubu explains absence at APC caucus meeting

A national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday said that he was busy with a group of younger Nigerians at a programme they put together for him in respect to his birthday and so was not able to attend the party’s caucus meeting.

Tinubu was conspicuously absent when President Muhammadu Buhari hosted the national caucus meeting of the APC at the new Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday, leading to speculations by that all may not be well between the former Lagos State governor and the leadership of his party.

But in his reaction on Tuesday, Tinubu explained that his absence was not as a result of any ill feelings but solely for the reasons that a group of younger ones put together a programme for him in Lagos, where they were talking about their impression of him as a leader and as a motivator.

Tinubu made this known through his spokesman, Tunde Rahman, when he was interviewed by presenters of Political Platform, a programme on RayPower FM.

He said, “Yesterday, a group of younger ones put together a programme for him where they were talking about their impression of him as a leader, as a motivator. You needed to be there; it was so inspiring. You know these younger ones were talking about what they feel Asiwaju stands for. What they think about Asiwaju. I think that was what kept him away from Abuja. He couldn’t be in Lagos at that event and be in Abuja at the same time.”

On why the APC leader would sacrifice the party’s caucus meeting for an event put together in celebration of his birthday, he said, “I did not tell you these young ones came to visit him. They organized a programme in celebration of his birthday. I think it was only fit and proper that he honoured them the way they honoured him too. You needed to be there. He was the celebrant and everything was around him too.

“So, I do not know why you would think that is not equally important as well. Don’t also forget that the caucus meeting he did not attend is an advisory body. So that he did not attend the caucus meeting should not be a thing that we will make a lot of noise about.”

Rahman, also during the programme debunked the rumours making the round that Tinubu has abandoned the presidential assignment to reconcile warring members of the ruling APC across the country.

READ ALSO: Tinubu notable absentee as Buhari hosts APC national caucus meeting

“The assignment given to Asiwaju by President Buhari to lead the consultation, reconciliation and confidence building efforts within the party is ongoing. He has gone so far in that assignment; as a matter of fact, he is about putting together an interim report for submission to the president. I’m not aware that it was slated to be done yesterday (at the APC national caucus meeting.

“And I have also heard him say that this job was given to him by Mr. President and only Mr. President he will give the progress report. I think it is only right that you grant him that indulgence that he should be able to tell the president who gave him the assignment how far he has gone with that assignment.”

The rumours apparently followed Tinubu’s February 21, 2018 letter addressed to the APC national chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, and copied to Buhari and other party leaders, accusing the chairman of sabotaging the assignment given to him by Buhari.

 

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