Why Bisi Akande and I met Buhari — Tinubu

Former Lagos Governor, Bola Tinubu, has released the statement below to clarify the meeting he and former Governor Bisi Akande held with President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday.

The three men had met behind closed-doors hours after former President Olusegun Obasanjo released a statement critical of Mr. Buhari.

There were speculations that Mr. Buhari urgently called the meeting to discuss the political implication of Mr. Obasanjo’s letter.

But Mr. Tinubu said through his Media Adviser, Tunde Rahman, that the meeting was long scheduled, and had nothing to do with the controversial statement by the former President.

The full statement by Mr. Tinubu reads,

Tinubu’s, Akande’s Visit Unconnected with Obasanjo’s Statement

Today’s visit by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande to the Presidential Villa was scheduled last week.

President Buhari periodically schedules talks with Asiwaju Tinubu and Baba Akande, as he does with other Nigerians and APC figures, to discuss substantive issues pertaining to the governance of the country and matters concerning the party.

This visit was one such meeting. As such, the meeting had nothing to do with the statement of former President Obasanjo.

It is totally unconnected. At the time of the meeting, Asiwaju Tinubu and Baba Akande were even unaware that President Obasanjo had released his statement.

Tinubu Media Office

Tunde Rahman

January 23, 2018