I didn’t campaign for Buhari against Jonathan in 2015 – Dasuki

The former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, has said that as the NSA between 2012 and 2015, he never campaigned for the All Progressives Congress (APC) nor its candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, in whatever shape or form before, during or after the 2015 presidential election.

In a statement he personally signed on Sunday, and which PRNigeria obtained, Mr Dasuki said he was only involved in the unsuccessful attempt at forging an alliance between the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), prior to the 2011 elections.

His words: “My involvement in that political process ended after the elections of 2011.”

The erstwhile NSA to former President Goodluck Jonathan, debunked media reports that he discreetly campaigned for Mr Buhari and his party APC, while serving as Mr Jonathan’s NSA.

He said: “At first I found the report too ridiculous to take serious but on second thought, I felt it would be appropriate not only to debunk it but to put the records straight especially in view of politics of mischief and character assassination that are unfortunately the norms today.”

At the point of accepting the appointment to serve as NSA in 2012, Mr Dasuki said he made it clear to President Jonathan that he had a relationship with Muhammadu Buhari of CPC, Bola Tinubu of ACN and Ogbonnaya Onu of ANPP, among other opposition elements, and that his appointment would not cause him to sever the relationship.

“I, however, assured President Jonathan that I would never betray him. As a man of honour, I kept to my words. I never worked at cross purposes with my boss, President Goodluck Jonathan as being recklessly insinuated by mischief makers on their blogs and social media,” he said.

The PRNigeria gathered that the ‘slanted’ and ‘mischievous’ reports by some bloggers emanated after an interview of a former chieftain of the defunct CPC, Bashir Kurfi, was published by a national newspaper, last month.

Mr Kurfi, a university lecturer, in the interview which is being misrepresented on some social media, said that Mr Dasuki among others introduced Mr Buhari to the then leader of ACN, Mr Tinubu, on the planned political alliance prior to the 2011 presidential election.

Mr Kurfi explained that together with Mr Dasuki, Adamu Adamu, current Minister of Education; Kabir Yusuf, the publisher of Daily Trust; and Wada Maida, former Chief Executive of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN); they visited the APC national leader in Lagos, before the 2011 polls.

The full statement of former NSA is reproduced below.

PRESS STATEMENT

I NEVER CAMPAIGNED FOR APC OR BUHARI AS NSA TO PRESIDENT JONATHAN- DASUKI

My attention has been drawn to a false report to the effect that I discreetly campaigned for Muhammadu Buhari and his party APC while I was serving as President Jonathan’s National Security Adviser. At first I found the report too ridiculous to take serious but on a second thought, I felt it would be appropriate not only to debunk it but to put the records straight especially in view of politics of mischief and character assassination that are unfortunately the norms today.

The truth is that I was involved in an attempt at forging an alliance between the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) among others prior to 2011 elections which was not successful. My involvement in that political process ended after the elections of 2011.

At the point of accepting the appointment to serve as National Security Adviser (NSA in 2012, I made clear to President Jonathan that I had relationships with General Muhammadu Buhari of CPC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu of ACN and Chief Ogbonnaya Onu of ANPP among others opposition elements and that my appoint would not cause me to sever the relationship. I, however, assured him that I would never betray him. As a man of honour, I kept to my words.

Therefore, as NSA between 2012 and 2015, I never campaigned for APC nor its candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, in whatever shape or form before, during or after the 2015 presidential election.

I never worked at cross purposes with my boss, President Goodluck Jonathan as being recklessly insinuated by mischief makers on their blogs and social media.

Sambo Dasuki
Former National Security Adviser
July 12, 2020