El-Rufai Never Said Tinubu Was Too Old To Be President — APC

The North-West All Progressives Congress (APC), presidential campaign council has cleared the air on a comment linked to the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

The campaign council on Monday noted that El-Rufai never said the presidential candidate of the party, Bola Tinubu is too old for the presidency.

The spokesperson of the council, Muhammad Shehu Molash in his reaction to the claim that El-Rufai said so in a video, accused mischief makers of projecting fake news.

Molash in the statement released on Monday said, “Social media space has recently been brimming with a mischievously circulated video of Governor El-rufai, ostensibly, making reference to the Tinubu.

“But to set the records straight, the said interview was conducted months ago, where El-Rufai was asked questions, ranging from the rumoured vice presidential bid to a purported ministerial ambition and senatorial bid, which ‘mischief makers’ alleged that he has asked his erstwhile chief of staff to vacate his ticket for him.

“El-Rufai responded intelligently (in the video clip) by reminding the reporters that having been a minister 20 years ago and governor since 2015, he is contented with what the Almighty has done for him.”

Molash further stated that El-Rufai in the video noted that as a mentor who has raised capable mentees, he should give the younger generation the chance to play their role in the next government.

The council’s spokesman disclosed that the part which is being circulated is where the Kaduna Governor said that Tinubu insisted to be part of the incoming government.

Molash stated, “Recall that at the KADINVEST 7.0 in Kaduna, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu had to publicly threaten not to leave the podium until he extract a commitment from El-Rufai that he will work with him.

“With almost 23 million voters; President Buhari; six out of seven governors; 15 Senators; 1/3 of APC members in the house of reps, among hundreds of state house of assembly members, the North West geo-political is the most politically comfortable zone for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC in general.”

He claimed that desperate politicians have resorted to cutting and joining campaigns to create a crisis in the APC’s biggest stronghold in Nigeria.

Molash added, “Apparently, the APC’s presidential campaign flag-off in Jos, where President Buhari, all the 22 APC state governors, all APC chieftains and millions of party supporters attended, has rattled them.

“Hence, their incessant attempt to create a rift between our presidential candidate and one of his front line ‘political commanders’ in the North West.

“The North West APC presidential campaign shall continue to focus on winning all the seven states, 186 Local Governments and 2004 wards in the Zone for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, regardless of the endless distractions by these political entrepreneurs.

“The political harmony in the APC, various infrastructure development projects by the APC led administration and improved security in the North West, particularly in Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara has obviously left them without cheap political points to hang on to.”