2023: APC Speaks On Lawan Supporting Atiku

The presidential campaign council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has distanced the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan from the claim that he is supporting the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.

The campaign council of the ruling party on Thursday passed a vote of confidence in Lawan, noting that he can not betray APC.

Recall that Bashir Machina Campaign Council had on Wednesday condemned the alleged statements made by Lawan’s supporters against the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

Machina’s campaign council in a statement released by the Director of Media and Publicity, BSM Campaign Council, Husaini Isa claimed that the anti-party utterances were made by Lawan’s supporters at the rally held in Nguru town based on video evidence.

Isa further stated that the supporters of the Senate President openly endorsed Atiku Abubakar and the PDP.

But the spokesman for Tinubu-Shettima presidential campaign council, Festus Keyamo, in his reaction to the earlier claim dismissed the report, saying Lawan is a trusted party member.

Keyamo also expressed doubt that Machina supporters would stoop low to accuse the Senate president of working against his party.

He said, “Lawan has always been in opposition to the PDP since 1999. So anybody waking up overnight to say that Lawan and his supporters are working for the PDP should examine himself.

“He is someone who has a large heart. I don’t think Machina or his camp can do that to him as speculated. It is a united family we have in the APC. The people peddling this rumour are in the PDP. They are fond of always peddling conspiracy theory.

“The only hope of the PDP winning the 2023 election is to say that people are working against the APC. It is all lies, blatant ones. The party is comfortable with Lawan.”

The Publicity Director of the APC, Bala Ibrahim, also corroborated the position of the PCC spokesman.

Ibrahim in his statement claimed that some people are obviously working to create friction within the party.

He said, “These people, having lost and knowing they don’t stand any chance of winning, go into their tents and continue to fabricate stories that cannot be taken by a reasonable mind.

“Lawan has said times without number that after his loss to Tinubu, he is solidly committed to supporting him. He will campaign and see to the success of the campaign. He has not disowned members of the party nor has he derailed from his ambition of seeing to the success of the party.

“Whoever is peddling this is using a fabrication of his own imagination. They are doing so just to spite the party. These same people have said the same thing about the president being reluctant in campaigning for the APC presidential campaign. By so doing, President Buhari was forced to come out to say he is going to campaign with so much vigour and energy.

“These rumour mongers also alleged in the past that there was friction between the national chairman and the presidential candidate simply because of the way the candidate emerge. What more do they need to be convinced about the unity in the party?”