2019 presidency: Why I closed Buhari’s campaign office in Oyo – Adebayo Shittu

The Minister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, has opened up on why he closed a campaign office he opened for President Muhammadu Buhari in the South West.

There were recent reports that the Minister, who was also a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, stopped campaigning for President Buhari.

The Minister said that the report of him stopping to campaign for Buhari was a mere mischief.

He explained that the campaign office was a rented apartment, which was not his property.

Shittu told The Nation that he rented the property for N3 million per annum and simply could not afford to pay that and the landlord was impatient with him, which led to its closure.

His words, “I think that whole idea that I stopped campaigning for Buhari is nonsensical. I was the first cabinet member who started campaigning for Buhari’s reelection.

“I am still part of this government and part of the APC. In fact, I am a foundation member of the APC and my interactions and relationship with Buhari is not just starting.

“I was his party’s governorship candidate in Oyo state in 2011 and President Buhari has continued to earn my respect and adoration because he is one President who was either the first or the second to willingly reduce his salary by half.

“I think the first leader to do that was Murtala Mohammed who is late now.

“If he can reduce his legitimate salary so that the Nigerian state can utilise that second part for the good of this country, why would I do that? I think the story is mere mischief.

“We had a rented apartment which is not my property. We rented it for N3 million per annum and we simply could not afford to pay that and the landlord was impatient with us.

“He said we either pay or get out and we simply took the most sensible option by vacating the place. We are in the process of looking for another office space for the campaign. We hope to get something cheaper.

“So, it is not true that for whatever reason, I would say that I am no longer campaigning for Buhari. It was the handiwork of mischief makers and a section of the media cannot be exonerated from that.

“They started carrying that report without seeking my own side of the story. That is simply not patriotic. It is self serving and politically motivated.”