The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for president, Bola Tinubu, has denied allegations that he criticised President Muhammadu Buhari's administration for its handling of the ongoing fuel shortage and currency redesign plan.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is collaborating with "fifth columnists," according to Bayo Onanuga, the director of media and publicity for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign, to inflict unwarranted pain on Nigerians for political advantage.
He accused his opponents of making a "knee-jerk response, derailing from the issues, and distorting his views at the Abeokuta rally" in an effort to distance himself from President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said, “When the guilty are afraid of being uncovered, they try to push back with red herrings.
“For the records, in his statement, Asiwaju Tinubu, during the APC campaign rally at Abeokuta on Wednesday, did not mention, blame or accuse President Muhammadu Buhari for the current challenges in the country.
“Asiwaju Tinubu was only drawing the government’s attention to the sabotage being carried out by some fifth columnists in the system, possibly working in cahoots with the PDP.
“The CBN officials, including Governor Godwin Emefiele, have said many times that enough new naira notes have been supplied to the banks, yet our people complain that they have not been able to get the new notes.
“In recent days, many ATMs are either not working, or when working, they are dispensing the old notes, just a few days to the January 31 deadline.
“Similarly, Asiwaju Tinubu is aware of the salutary efforts by President Buhari to end the fuel queues, by chairing a 14-man panel. Yet the queues and agony continue.”
“For a presidential candidate, who cares about the suffering of our people, he has to warn the government that its efforts to make life better for Nigerians are being sabotaged on several fronts.
“Our presidential candidate only re-echoed what is well known and acknowledged, even by President Buhari himself, at different fora: That there are fifth columnists in and outside of government, who often throw spanners in the works against good intentions and programmes of the government.
For example: “How can a sincere recommendation issued by Asiwaju Tinubu to defend and promote goodwill for the government of his party become an attack?” It’s only plausible in the PDP’s cynical view.”