National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu has debunked reports that he is planning to strengthen his presidential ambition by planting his allies in key positions at the National Assembly.

In a statement from his media office on Sunday, Tinubu said he has no ulterior motive for backing Senator Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila to emerge as the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively.

Tinubu said he aligned with President Muhammadu Buhari’s position on the leadership of the ninth National Assembly in order to show support for the President’s second term in office.

Recall that President Buhari and the APC leadership had endorsed Lawan as Senate President and Gbajabiamila, who was elected into the lower legislative chamber during Tinubu’s second term as Governor of Lagos State as Speaker.

The statement read in part: “We have monitored with rising incredulity, the rash of news stories claiming Asiwaju Tinubu is manipulating the APC nomination process for the national assembly leadership.

“The stories claim this supposed manipulation is the first salvo in Asiwaju’s effort to position himself for a presidential run during the 2023 election cycle.

“Not only are these reports utterly false, based as they are in the fertile imaginations of those persons by whom they are being peddled, they are injurious to President Buhari’s historic quest to reform Nigeria.

“It is for this latter reason that we find cause to speak out where otherwise we would have continued to watch on in silent amusement. The peddlers of these rumours have arrogated to themselves the preternatural ability to read Asiwaju’s mind more than he himself can know it.

“They also seem to have acquired the unique gift of bending time so that 2023 appears before we even reach the midway point of 2019. If these people would only enlist their uncanny talents in the service of the nation instead of in the service of political intrigue and gossip mongering our country would be much the better.

“This attempt to caricature Asiwaju as if his words and actions are all aimed at grabbing power will fail because this portrait distorts the plain truth. While the headlines are sensational they are also senseless because they are not grounded in fact.

“The rumor-mongers should court greater discipline and wisdom. As Asiwaju recently said there is no action a person can take that constitutes a political guarantee as to what may come four years from now.

“Moreover, that having allies in the National Assembly leadership positions will greatly enhance someone’s presidential ambitions is a spurious claim.”