16th December, 2018
The Nigerian Minister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, who was disqualified from the governorship race by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, and who has been accusing the party’s national Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, of unjustifiably disqualifying him, has dispelled the rumour making the round that the closure of his campaign office for President Buhari’s re-election was connected with the alleged injustice done to him by the party.
The NATION reports the lawyer turned politician’s recent interview with correspondents where he explained that the development had nothing to do with his disagreement with the party. Below is excerpt from the interview:
Correspondents: Recently, there were reports that you stopped campaigning for President Muhammadu Buhari in the South West when you closed the campaign office you opened in Ibadan. What is the true situation?
Shittu: I think that whole idea that I stopped campaigning for Buhari is nonsensical. I was the first cabinet member who started campaigning for Buhari’s reelection. I am still part of this government and part of the APC. In fact, I am a foundation member of the APC and my interactions and relationship with Buhari is not just starting. I was his party’s governorship candidate in Oyo state in 2011 and President Buhari has continued to earn my respect and adoration because he is one President who was either the first or the second to willingly reduce his salary by half. I think the first leader to do that was Murtala Mohammed who is late now. If he can reduce his legitimate salary so that the Nigerian state can utilise that second part for the good of this country, why would I do that? I think the story is mere mischief. We had a rented apartment which is not my property. We rented it for N3 million per annum and we simply could not afford to pay that and the landlord was impatient with us. He said we either pay or get out and we simply took the most sensible option by vacating the place. We are in the process of looking for another office space for the campaign. We hope to get something cheaper. So, it is not true that for whatever reason, I would say that I am no longer campaigning for Buhari. It was the handiwork of mischief makers and a section of the media cannot be exonerated from that. They started carrying that report without seeking my own side of the story. That is simply not patriotic. It is self serving and politically motivated.