The Federal Government and wife of the President, Aisha Buhari on Wednesday, reacted to the revelation by Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai State that elements in Aso Villa are working against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu ahead of the February 25 poll.
Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor, had at the keenly contested presidential primary of the APC in June, trounced top aspirants including former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; Senate President Ahmad Lawan; Labour Minister, Chris Ngige; amongst other stalwarts in the party.
Earlier on Wednesday, the governor on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily breakfast programme said the elements in the Villa are hellbent on APC losing next month’s election because they did not have their way, adding: “I believe that there are elements in the Villa that want us to lose the elections because they didn’t get their way. They had their candidate; their candidate didn’t win the primaries and I think they are still trying to get us to lose the elections and they are hiding behind the President’s desire to do what he thinks is right.”
In a swift response, the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) said the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is focused on ensuring free, fair and credible elections and not favour or cause anyone to be at a disadvantage, adding: “On a more serious note, one thing I can assure you is that, no matter who, this administration is focused and determined to ensure a free and fair election. And I think this administration, and for that matter now, the most important person in this regard is Mr. President.
“I think he has shown by words and deed that he is committed to a free, fair and credible election. And fair, free and credible elections mean not favouring or disfavouring anybody. Everywhere he goes, he makes that very clear, even as recently as Friday, when he was in Daura. He said the same thing. So if there’s anybody who’s working against any candidate, we don’t know officially.”
The President’s wife, known to have alerted the nation about a group she called Aso Rock Cabal, in a post on her verified Instagram account, shared the clip of the governor with a simple caption: “#longlivethefederalrepublicofnigeria.”
