Some Governors under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) took Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Presidential candidate of the party to President Muhammadu Buhari at Daura, the President’s hometown in Katsina State, on a peace meeting on Friday night.
The meeting held hours after the APC Presidential Candidate kicked against some policies of the Federal Government, saying they were targeted at him, telling a Presidential campaign rally of the party in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, on Wednesday: “Let them increase the price of fuel. Only them know where they have hoarded fuel. They hoarded money. They hoarded naira. We will go and vote and we will win. Even if they changed the ink on Naira notes. Whatever their plans, it will come to nought. We are going to win.”
Tinubu asked his supporters at the rally: “They are plotting, but they will fail. They said fuel price will increase and reach N200 per litre. Go and relax. They don’t want this election to be held, they want to scuttle it. Will you allow them?”
Tinubu’s comment had sent a wave of shock across the county, with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) taunting him and the ruling party.
Though details of the meeting held behind close doors is still sketchy, sources confirmed that Tinubu was accompanied by Governor Bello Masari of Katsina and some APC Governors.
According to a source, “Tinubu met with Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State, Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State, his Kebbi State counterpart, Abubakar Bagudu before they proceeded to Daura to see the president, though Governor Zulum did not go with them.”
“Perhaps Tinubu noticed that wherever they go for campaign, they were facing public harassment, hence the need to urgently meet with the President over the issue.”
But in a statement, Bayo Onanuga, Director, Media & Publicity, APC Presidential Campaign Council, accused the opposition of driving a wedge between Tinubu and Buhari.
“Nigerians should no longer be in doubt about those working in cahoots with fifth columnists in the system to inflict avoidable pains on our hapless people for political end.”
“No sooner Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu empathised with the Nigerian people facing the dual crises of fuel and new Naira notes scarcity, than the opposition PDP and the Atiku camp issued a knee-jerk response, derailing from the issues, distorting Asiwaju’s statement and trying, in vain, to create a wedge between our presidential candidate and President Muhammadu Buhari.
“When the guilty are afraid of being uncovered, they try to push back with red-herring,” he said.