The Presidency has dismissed the rumoured rift between President Muhammadu Buhari and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
It described the rumour as a work of media mischief makers.
In a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the Presidency noted one of the reasons cited by authors of the rumour was the fact that Tinubu had not been frequently seen around President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The statement, however, explained Tinubu’s distance from the State House had not been as a result of a friction between him and Buhari but because the former Lagos governor is not a cabinet minister.
“The Presidency wishes to make it clear that there is no rift between President Muhammadu Buhari and his strong ally, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The President and the Asiwaju have a very strong commitment to the All Progressives Congress, APC towards bringing CHANGE and this is a commitment they have made to the Nigerian people.
“Recent reports of a rift between the two leaders of our party are false; the handiwork of some media mischief makers.
“It is quite unfortunate that certain sections of the media feed on birthing controversies, providing a nexus for naysayers who work behind the scenes planting such stories, which are absolutely false.
“This administration is aware of pessimists and cynics who willfully spread misinformation to create doubts in the minds of the people about the relationship between its leaders and whether the party will remain intact or not.
“There is no doubt that the President and the party are focused on development, peace and security, restructuring of the economy and war against corruption in the country and will not be diverted to anything else. This desperate attempt to fool the people will not succeed.
“To President Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu remains one of the most respected political leaders in the country, who has stuck to his principles in the face of all adversities.
“He was instrumental to the formation, growth and development of the APC into a formidable political party and the political alliance is waxing even stronger.
“If the Asiwaju is not a frequent face in the Aso Rock Villa, it is on account of the fact that he is not a cabinet member of this government.
The fact that he is not every day around the Villa does not make him less of a friend to the President and this administration,” the statement reads.
