Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun has denied issuing any statement as a response to the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Abiodun maintained that what people termed a response to Asiwaju Tinubu on Friday is simply a misrepresentation of facts as it wasn’t in any way targeted at the former Lagos State Governor.
The Ogun State Governor made the denial following the public outburst by Tinubu on Thursday that he (Abiodun) could not have emerged the Governor without his help.
The APC leader had during an interaction with APC delegates in Abeokuta on Thursday, listed Abiodun as one of the beneficiaries of his political sagacity. The list also included President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
He said: “Dapo that’s sitting down here, could he have become Governor without me?
“We were at the stadium; they tore all his posters. Even the party flag, they didn’t want to hand over it to him. I was the one who brought it. If he wants to meet God at the right place, he must know that without God and me, he would not have become Governor.”
On Friday, Abiodun took to Twitter where he wrote a statement which was widely interpreted as a response to Tinubu’s claim.
“I am not an emperor by any chance and this is not my family inheritance.
“I am holding this position in trust for all the people of this state and I have vowed to be fair, just and equitable and this is the solemn agreement I made between the Almighty God and myself,” the tweet read.
As the Twitter statement went viral, Gov. Abiodun moved to quell insinuations that he was speaking to Tinubu through the post.
The statement on Friday night by the Ogun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Abdulwaheed Odusile clarified that the Governor’s statement is to the people of the state as an affirmation of his commitment to good governance.
He appreciated the media for their roles but called for greater caution in news dissemination.
The statement reads: “The attention of the Ogun State Government has been drawn to comments purportedly made by Governor Dapo Abiodun in reaction to statements made by the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and presidential hopeful, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, during his recent visit to party delegates in the state.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the tweet released this morning was an extract to re-emphasize the comments of Governor Abiodun to party faithful and appointees on May 29 during the celebration of his third year in office, which also coincided with his 62nd birthday.
“The comments could, therefore, not have been a response to comments by Asiwaju Tinubu whose visits to Abeokuta came five days later.
“While Governor Abiodun appreciates the media, including online platforms, as partners in progress with Government, he enjoins media practitioners to always report the truth at all times and refrain from giving vent to fake news, distortions and misinterpretations.”
