APC Presidential Campaign: Buhari deceiving Tinubu, says Afenifere

A Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has described as
deceitful the declaration by President Muhammadu Buhari that his
campaign would be led by the national leader of the All
Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu.

The spokesperson for the group, Yinka Odumakin, warned that any
attempt by Buhari to avoid the presidential debate slated for next
week could spell doom for his re-election bid.

Buhari, while inaugurating the APC Presidential Campaign Council
in Abuja on Monday had said he was handing over the campaign to
Tinubu.

He had said, “But I must also add that though we will all be
deeply involved, I will like to assure the nation that I will do my
part without making governance or my work to suffer. Asiwaju Bola
Ahmed Tinubu, my co-chairman, will be fully in charge and is going
to be on 24-hour vigil.

“That is to say the operational buck of this campaign stops at
his table, and I therefore urge all of us in the leadership of this
campaign, in the field operations, on the campaign trail and in the
secretariat to consult with Asiwaju whenever guidance is
needed.”

Odumakin, who spoke to our correspondent on the telephone on
Monday, said the statement smacked of deceit.

He said, “I think the whole thing is just to make Tinubu feel
good and think he is being reckoned with. But in any case, it is
said that those who don’t learn from history will repeat it.

“This confirms that there are political forces that see some
personalities at desperate times as people they can just toy with
and once they dangle some carrots before them, there will be no
problem.

“But if he tries to avoid the debate, it cannot work. Nigerians
will not be wise to vote for anybody that is not ready to
debate.”