Adamu: I Supported Lawan But Won Election For Tinubu, Denies Rift With Presidency

The All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu has said the public should not vilify him for supporting the former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, who was his preferred presidential candidate in the run-up to the 2023 APC primary.

Adamu said that after the emergence of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the presidential candidate in the APC 2022 national convention that he led, all members of the party united and worked for his victory in the February 2023 general election.

Speaking in an interview with Arise News Channel on Wednesday, Adamu said he deserved to be appreciated for leading the party that delivered at the polls not condemned.

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The APC national chairman debunked the rumours making the rounds about a purported rift between himself and the president, saying he currently has a good working relationship with Tinubu.

He said some people are bent on creating misunderstanding between him and the president but he is not perturbed by that.

“It is true and I don’t deny the fact that at the time that I made a presentation to the National Working Committee, Ahmed Lawan was proposed for the presidency. That was before the convention. Tinubu was nominated at the convention, unanimously, I was there and led the convention. Once the party decides on a candidate, every party member follows, and I am no exception. I supported Lawan, but won the election for Tinubu,” Adamu stated.

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He said that after the primaries, he led members of the NWC to Tinubu’s residence in Asokoro, Abuja, and assured him of their full support, and was with him all through the campaign and until he won the election.

“Now instead of appreciation, instead of showing understanding, and maybe if you permit the word praise for what we’ve done, rather, were vilified,” Adamu added, referring to his critics.

He said he was taken aback by the avalanche of criticisms of his leadership of the party when he expected to be appreciated for leading the party to success.

“I have not had any period of misunderstanding with him since the convention since he was elected. In every political party anywhere in the world, before a convention in a presidential system, you can hold an opinion but once the party decides, who the candidate should be, every member of the party follows and that’s the process, we’re no exception.

“I have enjoyed a good working relationship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR since his inauguration to date, in fact since his election. There is nothing I went to talk about with him that he didn’t give me his attention or didn’t share my thoughts effectively on whatever matter I took before him.

“So these are people who are just treading on gossip treading on, you know, trying to create bad blood between me and my president. He is more than that. He is the president of Nigeria. I am privileged to be the chairman of the ruling party today,” Adamu stated.