Presidency, PDP slam Tinubu over anti-Jonathan comment

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The Presidency on Friday slammed a former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, for his Thursday’s comment on President Goodluck Jonathan.

Tinubu had at a lecture held to celebrate the 60th birthday anniversary of Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State in Benin City, criticised Jonathan for allegedly presiding over the establishment of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum as a counterweight to the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, which cuts across party lines.

The national leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria accused the President of allegedly dividing the governors just because they had the temerity to oppose the Excess Crude Account.

Tinubu said he was ashamed of the President for presiding over the creation of the PDP Governors’ Forum, adding that by his actions, Jonathan was not promoting democracy.

But the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak, in an interview with our correspondent, said he was shocked at Tinubu’s utterances.

This statement means Tinubu is not a leader, it means he should not be followed.

“The President is the father of this nation; he represents the sovereignty of the country,” he said.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in a statement on Friday, questioned the motive of the ACN leader in his comments about the PDPGF.

Metuh described Tinubu’s comments as “contrary to the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of association.”

PDP said, “Since the inception of the current democratic dispensation, governors have had several groups where they meet to aggregate their common interests. We have governors of the ACN always meeting.

“We also have groups like the Northern Governors Forum, South East Governors Foum, South South Governors Forum and so on. What is the idea behind Tinubu’s attack on the PDPGF? It goes to show the absence of democratic tenets in him for him to attempt to prevent Nigerian citizens from associating with one another.”

When contacted, Tinubu’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Kunle Abimbola, referred our correspondent to the former governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Sunday Dare.

However, calls to Dare’s phone indicated that it was switched off.