The National Leader of All Progressives Congress,APC ,Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has dismissed as untrue ,insinuations of a rift between himself and President Muhammadu Buhari.Speaking with State House Correspondents after a Ramadan Breakfast session Tuesday evening in Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Tinubu affirmed that he is “firmly loyal” to Buhari’s cause.
“If you understand what party politics is all about and what leadership is all about, it’s about loyalty and commitment to the values that leadership believes in. I believe in what the president believes in and respect him, and I stand firmly loyal to his cause,”Tinubu said ,just as he said he has not asked for anything that could strain his relationship with bBuhari.
He said further,”You can go to any length of speculation that you might want. I have not responded to all of that because I understand the president and the president understands me.”
Asked for his reaction to the crisis in the national assembly where Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara have emerged Senate President and Speaker House of Reps contray to his evident wish,Tinubu said,”That’s an area where I am very very cautious of my position and my utterances. I still want to keep my side of interpretation and analysis to me to be able to achieve a resolution of the matter as quickly as possible.
“I am backing what the president has carefully enumerated and articulated to the party. The party is supreme. The party must have disciplined leaders and followers.
“The process must be respected because that is the confidence and the thrust of the people.
“However, in every political environment, you expect conflict. That’s politics and conflict resolution mechanism will be applied to resolve all problems. So, we are there.
“There’s is honour in every struggle, in every competition. There must be honour in victory too. I will stop there for now.”
Tinubu had during the breakfast slammed critics who said his regime was slow. According the APC leader,”We are slow. Yes. We didn’t campaign to be fire fighters. We campaigned to be planners. A laxity of 16 years cannot be cleaned up in 30 days.”.
He told the president”We have faith in you, your capacity, integrity and uprightness We promise that we will continue to be with you and support you.”
Tinubu prayed for the blessing of the Holy month of Ramadan as sought God’s forgiveness for misdeeds of everyone at the event.
Responding,Buhari expressed his gratitude to APC leaders who came together to topple the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.He called on party leaders to close ranks in order to ensure good leadership.He also said if the constitution is respected Nigeria’s problems will peter out.