He said that political charlatans and enemies were just peddling rumours of an alleged feud between them.
In a statement by his media office yesterday, the former governor said he had “noticed and read many published political stories on Lagos politics in particular and the personalities involved that are either concorted, unsubstantiated, pure conjectures or outright falsehood.”
He said further: “In this instance, I refer to a recent story ran by a major newspaper concerning my successor and I. There is no doubt that political charlatans and enemies are at work, fueling unnecessary rumour and insinuations and seeking to drive a wedge in an otherwise cordial and respectful political relationship.
“My relationship with Governor Fashola remains cordial both at the personal level and at the level of commitment to ensuring Lagos State remains on the path of political stability, growth and development.”
Referring to the just concluded primary election of the APC in the state, Tinubu stressed that the issue was not about Gov. Fashola having a specific candidate.
“What is important is to have a transparent process in the spirit of democracy to which we both subscribe. We often debate, agree or disagree. But when it comes to concluding on the interest of Lagos State, we are on the same page. The current situation and issues around the Lagos gubernatorial primary are being overblown. What we have done is ensure that no one is denied his or her rights to participate and compete for any elective position. Such a disposition should not translate into anger and divisiveness of the party as it is being peddled. Conflicts and disagreements are part of every political process. The capacity to solve these conflicts in-house and not on the pages of newspaper is a tradition in Lagos.”
The former governor further enjoined the people of the state against speculative, self-serving stories aimed at destabilizing the party and its leadership.
“The media must be wary of accepting or publishing stories that seek to pursue a narrow political agenda. Rather, they should make their paper a platform for proper news dissemination and constructive analysis such that can help our country tackle the current security problem, create jobs, etc.
“While we appreciate, recognize and respect the right of every media house to publish any story, it is important not to be part of the feeding frenzy and not to mislead the unsuspecting public. At my age and with my level of political experience, I am expected to seek for solutions, work for reconciliations and find a common ground where disagreements exist. That is what I have dedicated myself to in the larger interest of Lagos State and Nigeria at large. That is what Governor Babatunde Fashola and myself are about. That is what Lagos State deserves as Nigeria’s pacesetter in terms of democracy and development,” Tinubu said
Source Sun Newspaper.
