Buhari Grateful to APC, Won’t Undermine Tinubu, Assures Garba Shehu
Garba Shehu, the former Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has firmly dismissed suggestions of any friction between Buhari and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing such insinuations as unfounded and politically motivated.
Speaking during an interview on 30 Minutes, a current affairs programme aired by Trust TV, Shehu addressed widespread speculation that Buhari had grown distant from President Tinubu and might be quietly working against the incumbent administration.
He emphasized that Buhari remains loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party that brought both leaders to power, and has no interest in undermining Tinubu or destabilizing the ruling party.
“In a formal and official sense, nobody should talk about distrust or mistrust between the Buhari administration and the Tinubu administration,” Shehu said.
“When people express opinions, they’re entitled to those opinions. But those interpretations are entirely speculative and personal. There’s no documented evidence of any fallout.”
According to Shehu, Buhari’s sense of loyalty and discipline remains unshaken, particularly towards the APC, which he credited for his electoral success after three failed attempts.
“For Muhammadu Buhari, he’s essentially an APC member and always will be,” Shehu said.
“He does not forget that he ran for the presidency three times without success until the APC was formed. The party gave him the platform to win, and he served two terms. He always says, ‘I will never be ungrateful. I will never betray the party that gave me two terms in office.’”
Responding to reports of tensions within the party and between key political blocs, Shehu stated that Buhari’s team pays little attention to such narratives and is not swayed by political rumour mills. “We see the comments, the reports. Do we get disturbed? Not really. Buhari has moved on. He served the country and handed over peacefully.
He’s not interested in daily politics or in undermining his successor,” he said.
Shehu also highlighted Buhari’s continued support for Tinubu’s leadership and his belief in the need for party unity, especially given the sacrifices made by the party’s founding members.
“Those of us who witnessed the efforts it took to build the APC from the ground up in 2014 are unlikely to do anything that would bring harm to the party. Buhari respects that legacy.”
Since leaving office in May 2023, Buhari has largely stayed away from political controversies and maintained a quiet lifestyle in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State. Shehu reiterated that the former president is focused on his retirement and national stability, not political rivalry or division.
In recent months, there have been murmurs of discontent within the APC, with some commentators suggesting that certain figures from the Buhari era were disillusioned with Tinubu’s leadership style or policy direction. However, Shehu’s comments appear aimed at dispelling such notions and reassuring party members and Nigerians of Buhari’s continued loyalty to the party and the democratic process.
“President Buhari will never be a part of anything that disrupts governance or disrespects the will of the Nigerian people,” Shehu concluded. “He played his part and he believes strongly that President Tinubu deserves all the support he needs to succeed.”
