I Have No Rift With Tinubu – Akeredolu Insists, Say Buhari’s Presence Brought Victory

SAN FRANCISCO, November 30, (THEWILL) – Rotimi Akeredolu, Ondo State Governor-elect, has revealed that he has no rift with the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, insisting that the presence of President Muhammadu Buhari at his campaign rally in state won the election for him.

Akeredolu made this known in an interaction with State House correspondents on wednesday , after meeting President Buhari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, accompanied by the deputy Governor-elect, Agboola Ajayi and Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong

He insisted that President Buhari and the APC National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, are the head of the APC leadership adding that Tinubu, like other leaders of the party, fall under the leadership of Buhari and Odigie-Oyegun.

“I thanked the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the leader of our party profusely for the leadership which he showed leading to this election. I also thanked our indefatigable chairman for standing by the truth and for his position on this matter that led to this election. I have no reason to do otherwise,” he said.

“You see, party structures to the best of my knowledge is very clear. You have the leadership of the party and that is represented by Chief John Odigie-Oyegun. And after the election, a chief executive emerges, he becomes a leader of the party, you don't have to personalize and be looking for leaders all over the place. If we have to do that then I will have to mention 36 or 37 leaders.

“So I believe the leadership as represented by the president covers all leaders and that tells me it would include Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it would include even Baba Akande, Onu, so many leaders. But president Buhari is the leader of the party so that is my position there.

“The relationship with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has always been the same. I don't think we have any strain relationship. For me as a person, I believe he is one of the leaders of the party and I don't see any strain relationship between us.

“And you would observe that he has sent in his congratulatory message after the election, so what else do you expect? I mean all of us see this as victory for the APC, not for Akaredolu, not for as an individual but for the party as a whole.

“I believe he is a member of the party. Mr. Femi Adesina had issued a release but you journalists just want to put words into our mouths.

“At the center the government of the President Muhammadu Buhari said we must look back in order to move forward, he has been there for over a year now, has he instituted a probe looking back is not a probe and I maintain that I will not probe any regime.

“This is responsible leadership I am elected to lead the people. The task ahead of us is enormous than for us to start instituting probes. My own is not to institute any probe of last regime and that is what president Buhari has done.

“But if we find out that wrongs were committed we have enough laws of the land to take care of people who have committed wrong. As we start our work as we go ahead if there is any semblance of Dasukigate at the state, the law will take its course that is different from probing. We will follow what Mr. President is doing at the centre.”

Story by Oputah David