The national chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, berated the critics of President Muhammadu Buhari’s constant trips abroad saying that a former President, Olusegun Obasanjo travelled more frequently that Mr Buhari when he was in office.
“Saying Mr President is involved in frequent trips is not correct. I remember very well, there is no president in recent Nigeria’s history, since 1999 till now, that travelled out of Nigeria as much as former President Olusegun Okikiola Aremu Obasanjo did.
“If you check through your newspapers and playback some of your electronic coverages, you will find where Gani Fawehinmi (of blessed memory) took time to calculate the number of days President Obasanjo was out of Nigeria, visiting foreign countries.
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“He even tried to calculate the number of hours he was spending on air comparing it to the number of hours he was spending on Nigerian soil. So, how can you, that was already an adult when Obasanjo was president suggest that Buhari travel more often than other persons? That is not correct,” Mr Oshiomole told the Vanguard.
President Buhari has spent not less than 230 days outside the country since he was elected as the President of Nigeria in 2015.
Over 200 of these days were spent in the United Kingdom (UK) while he spent the other days in Saudi Arabia and other countries.
Also, speaking about the claim by the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Itse Sagay, that he was behind crisis within APC in his home state, Edo, Mr Oshiomhole said he would rather speak about the matter privately with Mr Sagay.
“All I can tell you is that I have a lot of respect for Prof. Itse Sagay. I do remember very well that he was one of those who said I should contest for President. I respect him, he is a very consistent fellow. He believes in what he believed in and he pays the price for it.“
If he has said those things, I am not going to reply to him through the newspapers. I will find out what he said and I will find out, call him and know what the issues are that he is not comfortable with. He is my brother and my elder statesman,” Mr Oshiomhole said.
