By Pascal Oparada
The presidency on Saturday, December 29, 2018did a volte-face two-four hours after President Muhammadu Buhari announced members of his campaign council, which had prominent Nigerians including two billionaires, Aliko Dangote, and Femi Otedola.
Media aide to the President, Femi Adesina, debunked claims that the business mogul, Dangote is a member of the campaign council of Buhari
“It has become imperative to further clarify the status of Alhaji Aliko Dangote, named under the sub-head ADVISORY MEMBERS in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council announced on Friday, December 28, 2018.
“Africa’s richest man, not being a card-carrying member of APC, cannot, and is not a member of the PCC. “He is also a member of the Peace Committee, and thus cannot be in a partisan campaign council.”
But a tweet by the Head of Digital Communications to the President, Tolu Ogunlesi named the billionaire businessman as being in the council as an advisory member.
Ogunlesi was reacting to a story by Premium Times, an online newspaper.
This resulted in a backlash by Nigerians who felt the President did that to save face.
“Buhari does not want people to think that his presidency is being hijacked by a cabal full of businessmen and a politician, thus confirming what is out in the open that he does not have a grip on the government,” Justine Okpoko, Head Teacher at Yemab Crown of Glory School told TheNiche.
“A lot of people believe Dangote is made by successive governments in Nigeria by granting him concessions, including low exchange rates,” Okpoko said.
A lot of people questioned the motive behind including names as Dangote, whom they believe can single-handedly fund the president’s campaign only to backtrack on it a day after.
“Why did they name him as a member of the council in the first place?” Dayo Solawunmi asked. “Was it because people would think he funded the president’s campaign if wins in February?”
Dangote is Africa’s richest man with a net worth of over $14 billion. His companies include Cement factory, sugar refinery, oil refinery and a lot of other businesses.
He has not been known to be partisan but has always been close to successive governments since 1999.
