Former Lagos State governor Bola Tinubu has debunked report? by an online medium, Niger Observer, about his health status, saying that he was hale and hearty. Tinubu, who stated this in a statement by his special adviser on media, Mr. Sunday Dare, insisted that the story was malicious and patently false.
According to Tinubu, the story represents the worst form of journalism if it can be called that as it lacks in rigour and professionalism.
The statement reads in part: “It is the figment of the wicked imagination of the writer and fits perfectly into the smear political campaign by his political opponents which began last year to wish him ill, so as to weaken his political clout and get him out of the way. The sponsors of this campaign of calumny are known and will soon be unmasked. This is not new. There is a pattern here. It began with the attempt to use EFCC to shut Asiwaju up which woefully failed. Then the Code of Conduct Tribunal case which turned out to be pure political witch-hunt based on fabricated and unsubstantiated allegations. Again, he triumphed. The rumour over his ill-health which has been on for almost a year now is the latest ploy of his political detractors to taint his rising political profile.
Tinubu’s media office further stated: “We wish to state for the record and without any iota of doubt that Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu enjoys good health and continues with his normal political and business activities. These activities have necessitated trips in and outside Nigeria from time to time. Ordinarily, Asiwaju Tinubu wouldn’t have responded to the unfounded rumour being peddled about his health, but due to the torrents of calls from friends, family, symphatisers, followers, political and business associates, and the undue anxiety being generated-this clarification becomes necessary.
“Tinubu will return to the country this week at the time of his choosing, as soon as he completes the business that necessitated his trip outside the country. He also advices the peddlers of this unfounded rumour about his ill-health to find something better to do with their time and talent.
“I am engaged daily with thoughts and activities on how to move this country forward and make it better for millions.
We are confronted with finding solutions to the more urgent problems of unemployment, grinding poverty, corruption, hopelessly bad infrastructure and a government badly in need of good advice. This diversionary tactics to distract me from the urgent task has already failed. Those that think I am paralysed in the body are unfortunately the ones paralysed in the mind and who need urgent medical help”.
The Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has also debunked insinuations that the national leader of the party is down with an undisclosed ailment.
? But in a statement made available by the Lagos State chapter of the ACN blamed the rumour on a publication in a national daily suggesting that Tinubu had suffered a partial stroke and had been flown abroad.
Describing the publication as false and misleading, the party, in the statement, a copy of which was made available to LEADERSHIP, stated that, rather, the?? former governor of Lagos was?? abroad with the Osun State governor, Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola, on a business trip.