Ogun Rally Violence: Tinubu is not leaving APC, says aide Rahman

Tunde Rahman, spokesman of Bola Tinubu, says the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is not leaving the ruling party.

In a statement on Tuesday, Rahman said Tinubu remains faithful and committed to the party despite the incident that happened at the campaign rally in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital, on Monday.

Tinubu was seen throwing away the flag of the party after the crowd had disrupted the rally.

Rahman, however, stated that the national leader did not throw away the flag but attempted to toss it to Adams Oshiomhole, APC national chairman, to present it to Dapo Abiodun, the governorship candidate.

He accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of making an issue from the “exchange of a flag” out of mischief.

“With but a few precious days until the election and with its chance of victory running out even faster than the time, the Peoples Democratic Party now grasps at the most nonsensical and desperate tactics to salvage its falling enterprise,” the statement read.

“However, a drowning man cannot toss himself a lifeline. Nor can the PDP succeed in turning the innocuous attempted exchange of a flag between the National Leader and National Chairman into a rift in the APC’s successful campaign.

“An incident did actually occur at the Ogun State APC rally but it is not the one PDP has concocted. The true incident that should be reported and condemned is that people who furtively oppose the party and the president tried to infiltrate and disrupt this rally. The attack by these operatives was disrespectful of the office of the president and could have potentially harmed the person of the president.

“Such antics have no place in our political discourse. The author of these misdeeds should desist before real harm is done. Now to the crux of the opposition’s latest antics. If the issue of the flag has become the hotspot of the PDP campaign, then they are in serious trouble.

“During that portion of the Ogun rally, the National Chairman and others were looking for a party flag. Asiwaju Tinubu spotted one within his reach. He picked it up and attempted to toss it to Chairman Oshiomhole so that the Chairman could present it to the party’s gubernatorial candidate Prince Dapo Abiodun. If you want to fault Asiwaju for anything in this matter, your critique can only be limited to the accuracy of his toss. Any attempt to enlarge the episode beyond this is fiction and mischief writ large.

“As the National Leader, Asiwaju Tinubu is thoroughly faithful and committed to the APC. It is unthinkable that he would leave the party. Moreover, there is no reason for him to do so. He has been hard at work for the victory of the APC and all of its candidates in the upcoming election.”