TheCable

Bola Tinubu, national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has alleged that President Goodluck Jonathan wanted him to serve as vice-president in an interim national government.

Tinubu said the offer was targeted at destabilising the opposition party ahead of the general election, saying having rejected it, the president decided to not only blackmail but also assassinate him.

“The PDP and Jonathan presidency had recently tried to fracture the APC by offering Tinubu the position of vice president in an interim government if he would agree to part company with the popular Buhari,” read a statement issued by Tinubu’s media office on Thursday.

“Once Tinubu rebuffed the offer to participate in the interim scheme, the presidency decided to change tactics. It would no longer try to entice Tinubu with sugar but would now move to silence, and if necessary, neutralise him.”

The statement added that the ruling party sees Tinubu as a threat and is ready to go any length to ensure that he does not serve as an obstacle to its bid in emerging victorious at the poll.

“The Jonathan government sees Tinubu as the linchpin of the APC and its successful electoral strategy. They also consider him one of the government’s most prolific and able critics due to his long standing and often strident critiques of Jonathan government policies, from economic development to national security,” the statement read.

“More to the point, they blame him as the man who is most responsible for placing them in their current electoral quandary. They believe without Tinubu’s efforts, the successful merger of the political parties into the APC would not have occurred and they would not be facing possible defeat at the hands of this new party.

“The agenda to tackle Bola Tinubu and weaken his political influence nationwide and to undermine his leadership in south western politics can be said to have gone into the overdrive.

“The first part of the strategy is to dredge previously discredited claims of illicit wealth in hopes of silencing Tinubu or lessening his public image. However, they fear this public relations attack may be too soft as Tinubu has been taken before the ICPC and the case against him dismissed.”

But the PDP has debunked the allegation, referring to it as “terrifying hallucination”.

Femi Fani-Kayode, director of media and publicity, PDP presidential campaign, said the fear of losing the election has thrown APC into confusion, adding that his party is not interested in having any deal with Tinubu.

“These allegations are baseless and false,” he said.

“These people have become prisoners of their own delusions. We are not in the least bit interested in the formation of an interim government and we are even less interested in participating in any contraption in which Bola Tinubu would play any role.

“Whether he, Buhari and their APC like it or not, they will be devastated at the poll and they would suffer a crushing and irreparable defeat.

“The everlasting confusion that would ensue in their camp after suffering this defeat will never be forgotten.

“The truth is this: the dementia in which Tinubu is suffering from has come as a consequence of his numerous sins. He should settle all these issues with God and leave us alone.”