2019 Presidency: Why I closed Buhari’s campaign office in Oyo – Adebayo Shittu
The Minister
of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, has opened up on why he closed a
campaign office he opened for President Muhammadu Buhari in the South West.
There were
recent reports that the Minister, who was also a governorship aspirant on the
platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, stopped campaigning for
President Buhari.
The Minister
said that the report of him stopping to campaign for Buhari was a mere
mischief.
He explained
that the campaign office was a rented apartment, which was not his property.
Shittu told
The Nation that he rented the property for N3 million per annum and simply
could not afford to pay that and the landlord was impatient with him, which led
to its closure.
His words,
“I think that whole idea that I stopped campaigning for Buhari is nonsensical.
I was the first cabinet member who started campaigning for Buhari’s reelection.
“I am still
part of this government and part of the APC. In fact, I am a foundation member
of the APC and my interactions and relationship with Buhari is not just
starting.
“I was his
party’s governorship candidate in Oyo state in 2011 and President Buhari has
continued to earn my respect and adoration because he is one President who was
either the first or the second to willingly reduce his salary by half.
“I think the
first leader to do that was Murtala Mohammed who is late now.
“If he can
reduce his legitimate salary so that the Nigerian state can utilise that second
part for the good of this country, why would I do that? I think the story is
mere mischief.
“We had a
rented apartment which is not my property. We rented it for N3 million per
annum and we simply could not afford to pay that and the landlord was impatient
with us.
“He said we
either pay or get out and we simply took the most sensible option by vacating
the place. We are in the process of looking for another office space for the
campaign. We hope to get something cheaper.
“So, it is
not true that for whatever reason, I would say that I am no longer campaigning
for Buhari. It was the handiwork of mischief makers and a section of the media
cannot be exonerated from that.
“They
started carrying that report without seeking my own side of the story. That is
simply not patriotic. It is self serving and politically motivated.”
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