The Tinubu Support Group on Saturday said the exit of a former member of the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin, from the All Progressives Congress has nothing to do with the presidential ambition of ex-governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu.
The pro-Tinubu group also said Jibrin was not its director-general, noting that its DG is Umar Ibrahim.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that the ex-lawmaker announced his exit from the ruling party on Saturday in a social media post.
“I have done my best for APC. It’s time to move on. I will announce my new political party within the next 24 hours Insha Allah. I will make a formal statement in due course,” he tweeted.
His resignation from the APC sparked online reactions and speculations as regards political permutations around the APC presidential primary later this month.
However, TSG spokesman, Tosin Adeyanju, in a chat with The PUNCH on Saturday, said the exit of Jibrin has nothing to do with Tinubu’s “lifelong ambition”.
Adeyanju said the ex-lawmaker’s exit was connected to his rift with Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje.
The pro-Tinubu group’s spokesman said, “He (Jibrin) is not the DG of Tinubu Support Group; he has his own group. The DG of Tinubu Support Group is Umar Ibrahim. His (Jibrin’s) resignation has nothing to do with Tinubu’s campaign. Our DG is Umar Ibrahim.”
In February, Jibrin had said a Muslim-Muslim ticket does not matter if Tinubu becomes the presidential candidate of the ruling party in the 2023 general elections.
Jibrin, a former member of the House of Representatives who led the campaign for Femi Gbajabiamila to become Speaker of the 9th House, said Nigerians are more interested in the quality of persons to occupy public offices.
Responding to a question of the ethnoreligious configuration should Tinubu, a Muslim, emerge as the candidate of the APC, Jibrin said, “I completely agree and understand that our country is sensitive when it comes to politics, the issue of ethnic and religious considerations. It is very serious. Nobody can sweep that under the carpet.”
He added, “But talking personally and weighing the mood of the country, I can assure you that if you give people a choice of someone who will come and improve on what we already have on ground, and revamp the economy and increase every aspect and every part of the country, people will just want to see progress. People just want to see development. For me, it doesn’t matter.