Tinubu Denies Involvement in Negative Report on Any Senator

A former governor of Lagos State and leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bola Tinubu, has denied that he had acted in concert with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to wage media attacks against the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP)!Senate caucus in order to undermine the integrity of the senators and the institution of the Senate.

Tinubu, in a statement issued by his media office on Wednesday in response to THISDAY’s story on Sunday titled, ‘PDP Caucus Accuses Tinubu, EFCC of Conspiracy to Destroy Senate’, said the story was “an outright fabrication”.

Tinubu, who is not a member of the PDP, stated that the PDP senators did not hold a special meeting to discuss him, adding that the senators had claimed “no such meeting was ever held and that they hold no special animus” towards him.

According to the statement signed by his media aide, Mr. Tunde Rahman, “We are usually not in the position of agreement with PDP members. But on this rare occasion, we have no contention with them.

“Asiwaju Tinubu is a former Senator. He has a special affection for the Senate as an institution. It is not within him to belittle the institution or members of that institution who happen to be in the opposing political party.

“Moreover, his brand of politics does not lend itself to engaging in wanton character and personal attacks. There is the significant policy difference between our progressive school of thought and the often reactionary ideas of the PDP.

“There are more than enough serious issues over which to grapple the PDP.”

It added that Tinubu’s politics are driven by his policy views.

“He will gladly wrestle against the PDP on substantive political differences. But engage in personal attacks, rumour-mongering and mudslinging? Never.

“We leave that for others. The gutter is no place to build a better nation. We seek higher grounds.

“So that there is no confusion on the core issue here, we categorically deny any hand in any negative personal report on any senator,” the statement said.

Tinubu’s media office said the THISDAY publication was “motivated by venal political objectives that dare not come out of the shadows”.

“Those behind the report know they cannot show themselves for what they truly are. Their tactics are underhanded because their objectives are equally so. They lie because the awful objective they seek cannot be gained by telling the truth.

“Some malefactors want to use the name of Asiwaju Tinubu to stir opposition in the Senate to the confirmation of Magu as EFCC chairman.

“By trying to paint Magu as Tinubu’s partner in mudslinging, the false story seeks to induce senators to oppose Magu as a way of thwarting Asiwaju Tinubu.

“The authors of this screed thus revealed their moral barrenness. The fight against corruption is a cardinal battle this nation must win or forever forego its greater destiny.

“Despite the importance of this matter, someone is trying to exalt his narrow personal interests above the long-term interests of the nation.

“Someone so brazen and self-absorbed is a dangerous instrumentality when placed in a position of power.

“That person will undermine the very institutions of democracy to get his way. In this very story, they have tried to break down both the Senate and the press in one swoop,” the statement added.

• Editor’s Note: We stand by our story, which we know was factual and has not been denied by any PDP senator. The so-called “political objectives that dare not come out of the shadows”, which Tinubu said motivated our story, are unknown to THISDAY.