The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Abdullahi Adamu, has opened up on his support for former Senate President Ahmad Lawan during the party’s convention in June 2022.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that in the buildup to the APC primaries, Mr Adamu had announced Mr Lawan as the consensus candidate of the party.
But the President immediately issued a statement, distancing himself from the purported endorsement.
Speaking during an interview with Arise TV on Wednesday, Mr Adamu claimed that the choice of Mr Lawan was the decision of the party’s National Working Committee, NWC.
He said: “It is true, and I don’t take that back, and I don’t deny the fact at the time that I made the presentation to the National Working Committee, the name of the distinguished senate president as he then, Ahmad Lawan, was proposed for the presidency.
“That was before the convention. So many things took place between then and the actual day of the convention. Once he was nominated to the convention unanimously. I was there. I led the convention as the chairman of the party.
“A day after the convention, we went to his house. I took the entire National Working Committee to his residence in Asokoro, here in Abuja and assured him [Tinubu] of our support. We assured him…
“We would do everything to ensure that this mandate that the party has given him is sold properly, and effectively to the general public of Nigeria.
“We did so when we started the campaign, we went all round with him. We faced the election. I was privileged to lead the party up to the end of the election, and we delivered a successful election in favour of our great party, APC. We are the winner.”
The chairman also lamented that he doesn’t get enough accolades for leading the party to victory during the 2023 general election.
“Now, instead of appreciation, instead of showing understanding and if you permit me, even praise for what we have done, rather we are vilified.
“I was taken aback because you see if nothing else, I respect my fellow countrymen in good faith no matter their political persuasion. Say yes, at least we led this political party to success.
“We have a president, he is inaugurated. He has commenced his administration. And he has hit the road running.
“Well-meaning Nigerians and supporters of our parties and the president have been given praise for the performance of the president.
“We, at the APC produced him, I heard the privilege of leading that. I have not had any period of misunderstanding with him since the convention, since he was elected.
“Now, every political party anywhere in the world, before a convention in a presidential system, you all hold to your opinion. Why not? But once a party decides, this is it. Every member of the party must follow and we are not exceptions.
“But some people decide to make that a selling point and something to hit at me and other individuals, that is left to them. I know what I am doing. And for your information, I have enjoyed a good working relationship with President Ahmed Tinubu since his inauguration till date.”
“In fact, since his election, there is nothing I went to him to talk to that he did not give his attention to or that I didn’t share my thoughts effectively,” he added.
