We’ve been left out, APC group cries out to Tinubu

A group of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), APC Integrity Group, has said that the embarrassment associated with the row over President Bola Tinubu’s Chicago State University certificate was technically caused by his appointees who, the group alleged, abandoned the President when he needed them most.

The group flayed the inability or what they said were the incompetence of the president’s media aides in making a concerted communications strategy that would have saved President Tinubu from the hullaballoo that greeted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s voyage in Tinubu’s alma mater.

In a statement the group made available to newsmen in Abuja, the group made a great compliment for Tinubu’s campaign allies who they said have been unreciprocated even with any appointment.

The APC Integrity Group Chairman, Alhaji Musa Rabiu and Secretary, Funsho Akintade said that they have been more impressed with the vociferous activities, defences and articulate positioning of President Tinubu and his renewed hope mandate by enthusiasts such as Mr. Bayo Onunuga, Dr. Josef Onoh, Reno Omokri and Femi Fani-Kayode, while on the other hand Tinubu’s mainstream aides such as ministers, Special Advisers and other close aides remained docile while the certificate row lasted.

The group accused Tinubu’s media aides of inability to navigate the Nigerian political terrain, noting that even American Presidents such as Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and even Barack Obama engaged their opponents at such points as President Tinubu is presently facing.

The group said that as ruling political party members they were worried that the spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Debo Ologunagba took note of the laxity in Tinubu’s appointees when he took a swipe on the APC for maintaining silence over the certificate matter and challenged the APC to speak up in order for the people to be sure that that the ruling party cares for transparency.

“It’s unfortunate and came as a shock that the President of Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa was only defended by two patriotic gentlemen who are not even members of his cabinet, Dr. Josef Onoh and Reno Omokri. Omokri even made it clear that he is still supporting Atiku Abubakar, despite his affiliation with the ruling APC and support for President Bola Tinubu on his Chicago State University records saga.

Part of the group’s statement reads: “The question is why couldn’t these aides stand up for President Tinubu? These media aides are not doing their work. This couldn’t have happened under former President Obasanjo; under President Buhari, Lai Mohammad was there and so it shows that it’s high time President Tinubu overhauled his team. Now that the President has been given a clean bill of health everyone is talking, but why didn’t they say anything then?

“Where are all the social media warriors that were fully active during the campaign? Not even the APC as a party spoke and it made Nigerians look down on Mr. President. If people like Bayo Onanuga, Femi Fani-Kayode, Josef Onoh and Reno Omokri were to be part of the Presidential team they would have made the desired presentation of the unnecessary matter as.

“Onoh engaged the British lawmaker, George Galloway, when he fired his salvo. He also educated Nigerians, even the lawyers, about the privacy rights that Mr. Tinubu enjoys on the certificate allegation. His loyalty to the President is not in doubt.

“The point we are making is that, now that President Tinubu has been vindicated on the certificate allegations, he should go back to overhaul the people he appointed in certain positions, he should look into the reward system of our party because many party members that worked for his victory are not happy with the way they have been used and dumped only to be replaced by those who they fought against and were fully against the President during the campaign.

“We suspect that his appointees do not have confidence in the President which was the reason why they all kept silent till after the release of the certificates because they had taught Atiku had something on Tinubu that might affect his election. They have all shown themselves.

“So many support groups such as ours worked for President Tinubu during the campaign period and there are credible and articulate persons among us who can take up the challenge of doing better than the present composition of Mr. President’s aides.”