No Cold War Between Tinubu, Aregbesola, Says Tinubu Media Office

AISHA ABUBAKAR

The media office of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has denied any cold war between the National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

This was in reaction to a report in an online newspaper alleging that the Governor’s Advisory Council, the highest decision-making body within the APC in Lagos State, appropriated and passed a resolution calling for the disbandment of all factional groups within the party, a resolution they claimed had worsened a phantom cold war between Asiwaju Tinubu and Ogbeni Aregbesola.

In a statement Tuesday, the Media Office said there has never been and there will never be any cold or hot war as Asiwaju believes in the immediate past Governor of Osun State and Aregbesola believes in the APC leader in return.

According to the statement, the Governor’s Advisory Council’s resolution was to promote discipline, harmony and cohesion and engender party supremacy as the APC is one united political family in Lagos.

An excerpts of the statement reads: “Our attention has, however, been drawn to a report in an online newspaper alleging that the GAC’s appropriate and candid resolution had worsened a phantom cold war between Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

“This is a figment of the imagination of the news organization that authored the report. Asiwaju Tinubu remains Ogbeni Aregbesola’s leader. The former governor of Osun State has been unswervingly and wholly committed to the progressive ideology of the Tinubu political family.

“There is no war, cold or hot, between them. There has never been and there will never be. Asiwaju believes in him and he believes in the APC leader. Our political family remains strong. And we are staying focused in our commitment to building and maintaining a cohesive political party.

“The GAC is a very strong body within the APC leadership structure in Lagos. Its resolution is not targeted at any particular individual or collection of individuals. The resolution was to restate the often-stated position that the only group known to us is APC and not any of the factional groups. It was to renew the commitment to APC and its unity.

“Ogbeni Aregbesola is a strong member of the political family. The GAC position does not imply any division within the group. The resolution is well-meaning and should not be misinterpreted. To do so impulsively as the authors of the report has done is to take the frontier of reporting away from facts to the realm of groundless speculations.”

Earlier, Aregbesola has also dismissed the reports of any rift between him and Asiwaju.

The minister said his loyalty to Asiwaju is not only total, his commitment to whatever the leader wants is unwavering while revealing that he knew where the story was coming from and the identity of those sponsoring it.

“Rift with Asiwaju Tinubu? Nothing can be more impossible! Nothing can be farther from the truth. I remain committed to my mentor, the group our detractors claim has been banned is the most committed to the realization of Asiwaju’s ambition,” Aregbesola said.

The minister also debunked claims of nursing presidential ambition in 2023.

“They even said I have presidential ambition. False!” he declared.

Aregbesola reiterated that the APC is one, adding that the party is like an oak tree that keeps growing.

He said his focus and goal is to execute his ministerial duties as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The minister however urged his supporters to ignore the publication in its entirety and refrain from being distracted from the goal of building a strong APC as well as a united Nigeria.