KEY POINTS
- Dare denies betraying him, saying Tinubu had backed his past roles.
- Tinubu’s help in elevating Buhari to the presidency is something he owes him,’ he states.
- Nevertheless, Dare says Nigeria is well on the path to progress.
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Public Communication and Orientation, Sunday Dare also clarified his loyalty to the president, denying the allegations raised because he previously worked for former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Dare, who was Minister of Sports and Youth Development under Buhari, told Channels Television’s Politics Today programme that his acceptance of that offer had Tinubu’s full backing, calling it ‘a call to national duty’.
Tinubu’s national duty and endorsement
Dare said in his statement that every appointment he took was with the knowledge and approval of Tinubu. ‘I had his endorsement for every appointment that I took,’ Dare said.
Tinubu endorsed his role at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and later in Buhari’s cabinet, he recounted, crediting him as being instrumental to Buhari’s rise to the presidency.
‘Political alignments transformed into mergers of a greater meaning here, and not just individual alliances, under the influence of Tinubu towards the election of Buhari,’ Dare explained. Without Asiwaju’s role in forming the party, President Muhammadu Buhari would not have emerged, he said.
Buhari’s candidacy and team efforts made clear
However, answering questions regarding his participation in carrying out the task of preaching Buhari’s personality, Dare asserted that he wasn’t the only one who did the job as mass of others had also performed such task.
“I didn’t pitch Buhari to Tinubu, he said. Yes, it was a team effort,” I participated in rebuilding the democratic picture of former President Buhari.”
According to The Punch, Dare spoke about the current administration’s policies, stating they should address the challenges but expressed optimism about overcoming them.
Tinubu’s policies are a “gestation period” that could span from two to five years, he added, but is certain that Nigeria is already on the right track.
