Temitope Ajayi, media aide to President Bola Tinubu, has dismissed claims made by the immediate-past Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, that his principal did not make Muhammadu Buhari president in 2015.
Naijaonpoint reports that Mustapha made the remark at a book launch in Abuja on Wednesday. The book was authored by one of President Buhari’s top media aides, Malam Garba Shehu.
According to the former SGF, Buhari already had over 12 million organic supporters before joining the APC, and the coalition only contributed about 3 million votes to his victory.
Reacting to Mustapha’s claims via his Facebook page, Ajayi stated the development ‘has done a disservice to our recent history’, adding that it was an ‘unnecessary glib’.
He argued that Buhari could not have emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate at the party’s 2014 national convention in Lagos without Tinubu’s mobilisation of State governors.
He wrote: “Let’s even leave the general election that the then General Buhari won to become president in 2015.
“There was no way he would have won the election to be president without first becoming the presidential candidate of his party APC.
“General Buhari would not have won the APC primary election at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, in 2014 without President Tinubu, who mobilised the APC governors and the South West delegates to move Buhari’s way.
“Former SGF Boss Mustapha did a disservice to our recent history with that unnecessary glib at the book launch today.
“Every effort and support that made it possible for President Buhari to win should never be diminished.
“Buhari had his 12 million captive Northern votes, yet he lost three presidential elections in 2003, 2007, and 2011.”