The Cable
Babafemi Ojudu, special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on political matters, says he has been receiving threat messages for his refusal to support the presidential bid of Bola Tinubu, chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Tinubu had recently expressed his interest in contesting the 2023 presidential election, describing it as a lifelong ambition.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ojodu said his decision not to support Tinubu’s ambition shouldn’t be seen as a betrayal.
“I and Bola Tinubu have come a long way and we have been there for each other. So let no one use my acknowledgment of his good deeds and my refusal not to support him in his bid for Nigeria’s presidency to portray me as a betrayer,” Ojudu said.
“Tinubu remains my leader and I will forever cherish him and the contributions he made to my Organisation during our fight against the military. He, however, knows I don’t follow the herd. I make my choices based on very rigid parameters. He will tell you I am very Independent in my actions and ways.
“As a third-year university student, my dad chose to be in NPN. I never considered the fact that he fed me and paid my school fees to join him in a party I despised. I went to UPN and became a youth leader.
“So, on this matter of 2023, I wish him well but I cannot in good conscience give him my support or cast my vote for him in the coming primary. It is my right. I am above 60 years of age for God’s sake. I almost died seeking these inalienable democratic rights, held up in detention and severally tortured. Your god is not my god.
