We May Punish Tinubu Over Outburst Against Buhari — Adamu

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has said the party may punish Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, National Leader of the party, over his comment “against” President Muhammadu Buhari.

When he visited Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, on Wednesday, Tinubu told delegates of the ruling party that without him, Buhari would not have been president.

He said after three election loses, Buhari wept and said he would not contest again, but he (Tinubu) went to Katsina and asked Buhari to run again and that he would win because he and others were on the president’s side.

The comment had sparked negative reactions across the country, with many accusing Tinubu of likening himself to God.

Briefing newsmen at the APC headquarters in Abuja on Saturday, Adamu said, “We may punish him (Tinubu) for his utterances against the President.”

Although Mr Tinibu has since apologised and retracted his statement, the ruling party chairman claimed that the apology was not enough, stressing that the presidential hopeful would face disciplinary action.

Adamu also said no presidential aspirant had been disqualified from contesting at the party’s presidential primary slated for Monday.

He said the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party has not disqualified any of the 23 aspirants that appeared before the John Odigie Oyegun-led PSC.

Indication to this emerged on Saturday following intense pressure on the NWC to upturn the recommendation of the committee for disqualification of 10 aspirants.

Adamu said: “I want to say very clearly that no aspirant has been disqualified. It’s like sitting in an exam. Even if you pass there is grading from first class to ordinary pass. So no aspirant was disqualified. Incidentally the pyresident has invited all of them to a dinner today.”

APC National Publicity Secretary of the party, Barr. Felix Morka also corroborated him.

He insisted that the Oyegun panel report was not binding on the NWC.

Morka said: “The screening panel only made recommendations to us to prune down our list. But that isn’t binding on us. We gave them an assignment and they have delivered. We would now sit down and take a position on what they submitted to us.

“The party had not disqualified anybody. Or have you heard from the party that any of the aspirants was disqualified?”

Asked if there would be an appeal panel for the disqualified aspirants, Morka said: “That doesn’t arise now. Is that an issue? I have just told you that nobody has been disqualified.

” It is when you decided to adopt the recommendation that you can think about providing avenues for those disqualified. I have told you that we haven’t disqualified anybody.”

Despite the judgement of the Federal High Court in Kano that favours the involvement of statutory delegates at the primary, Adamu said APC will stick by the elected delegates for the exercise.

The chairman said the party has filed Notice of Appeal and insisted that statutory delegates are excluded from Monday convention.

He said: ” We have served notice of appeal. The matter is in court. At the convention statutory delegates are excluded.