EXCLUSIVE: Issue of group purchasing APC forms for President Buhari already settled, as Presidency says ThisDay took hasty position not founded in law

*It is not in contest Buhari is apostle of Rule of Law – Femi Adesina

By Bashir Adefaka

“What I would just say is that, every newspaper has the right to position where it wants to position. But what they must bear in mind is national interest, harmony in society, equilibrium in good society.  If you position in place that will eventually throw the country into a tailspin, what do you get at the end of the day?  If there is chaos in the society, even you will not be able to practice your journalism profession or do your business.”

The Presidency has finally put to rest what has been described as unnecessary controversy over the purchase of Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms of All Progressives Congress (APC) for President Muhammadu Buhari by a support group, the Nigerian Consolidation Ambassadors Network (NCAN).

The nation’s seat of powers made this known in an exclusive interview with The DEFENDER Newspaper (Online) on Sunday.

Asked during the interview to state exactly what the disposition of the Presidency would be towards the description by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of the purchase by a group as bribery and by ThisDay Newspaper saying it contravenes the law and calling on the President to reject the forms, Special Adviser to the Nigeria’s President on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina, said the issue had already been put cleared.

“I think that has been set straight by legal minds particularly Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), who is the spokesman to the campaign organisation of the President.

“The law talks about candidate, not aspirant and there is a difference between the two.  The President is still an aspirant not candidate yet.  What that says is that no individual can donate more than a million naira to a candidate.

“So, we don’t have a candidate yet.  President is just aspiring to be a candidate.  Therefore, that law does not affect him for now.  I think that paper that took a position took a very hasty position not founded in law,” Adesina said.

In furtherance to previous comments about a mainstream newspaper, Punch, accused of publishing “improbable” reports against President Buhari, his aides and government, asked to speak on how to lay the “incessant slanting or twist or stories to rest”, the Presidential Adviser, who is bigwig in Nigerian journalism, gave a simple advice.

“What I would just say is that, every newspaper has the right to position where it wants to position. But what they must bear in mind is national interest, harmony in society, equilibrium in good society.  If you position in place that will eventually throw the country into a tailspin, what do you get at the end of the day?  If there is chaos in the society, even you will not be able to practice your journalism profession or do your business.

“Therefore, any newspaper that is positioned anywhere must have larger interest, that is national interest, interest of the public at the back of its mind,” he replied.

He also laid to rest any further comments to people who seem not to be cleared about the issue of national interest and national security superseding individual rights and rule of law made by the President at the recent conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Abuja.

Speaking on that, Adesina said the President did not make the statement by mistake and that it was the position as, according to him, any sane person that listened to him speak when Angela Merkel of Germany visited him in Abuja a week after would know that the President is committed to the rule of law.

Replying to the The DEFENDER’s question, Adesina in seeming but not clearly a retort said, “Mistake? No!”

He went on, “The President’s words are out there.  So, that is the President’s position.  But you would remember that when German Chancellor Angela Merkel came a week after, he (Buhari) said Nigeria will always abide by the rule of law.

“It is not in contest that the President is going to respect the rule of law.  So, that one is not negotiable.  What the President is saying is that there are some things that national interest will override and that is the position,” controversy laid to rest.

*Stay on with us for detailed interviews of Chief Femi Adesina this Wednesday.