Lawan not working for Atiku - APC dismisses rumour

The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC) has dismissed rumours that Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, is working for the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

This comes amid severe attacks against the Senate President after the Bashir Machina Campaign Council condemned the alleged derogatory utterances made by his (Lawan) supporters against the presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

The condemnation was contained in a statement signed by the Director-General of the Bashir Machina Campaign Council, Husaini Isa, on Wednesday, December 21, 2022.

According to Isa, Lawan’s supporters made anti-party chants at the rally held in Nguru town based on video evidence circulated on social media in which they openly endorsed Atiku his party.

APC dismisses allegation: Reacting to the claim, the APC campaign council in a statement on Thursday, December 22, 2022, passed a vote of confidence on the Senate President, saying he never betray the party.

The spokesman for Tinubu-Shettima presidential campaign council, Festus Keyamo, while dismissing the rumour said Lawan is a trusted party member.

The SAN said he found it hard to believe that Machina supporters would stoop low to accuse Lawan of working against his party.

Keyamo's words: “Lawan has always been in opposition to the PDP since 1999. So anybody waking up overnight to say that Lawan and his supporters are working for the PDP should examine himself.

“He is someone who has a large heart. I don’t think Machina or his camp can do that to him as speculated. It is a united family we have in the APC. The people peddling this rumour are in the PDP. They are fond of always peddling conspiracy theory.

“The only hope of the PDP winning the 2023 election is to say that people are working against the APC. It is all lies, blatant ones. The party is comfortable with Lawan.”

Also, the Publicity Director of the APC, Bala Ibrahim, who corroborated Keyamo's position, expressed reservations that some people are working to cause friction within the party.

Ibrahim's words: “These people, having lost and know they don’t stand any chance of winning, go into their tents and continue to fabricate stories that cannot be taken by a reasonable mind.

“Lawan has said times without number that after his loss to Tinubu, he is solidly committed to support him. He will campaign and see to the success of the campaign. He has not disowned members of the party nor has he derailed from his ambition of seeing to the success of the party.

“Whoever is peddling this is using a fabrication of his own imagination. They are doing so just to spite the party. These same people have said same thing about the president being reluctant in campaigning for the APC presidential campaign. By so doing, President Buhari was forced to come out to say he is going to campaign with so much vigour and energy.

“These rumour mongers also alleged in the past that there was a friction between the national chairman and the presidential candidate simply because of the way the candidate emerge. What more do they need to be convinced about the unity in the party?”