Tinubu’s absence at Ondo rally made no difference – APC

Governor Solomon Lalong of Plateau state, who chairs the All Progressives Congress, APC, Governorship Campaign in Ondo State, has declared that the absence of one of the party’s national leaders, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and some Southwest governors at the party’s mega rally in Akure on Saturday did not make any difference.

He asserted that there was no cause for alarm since President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, were present at the rally.
Recall that Tinubu and Governors Rauf Aregbesola, Abiola Ajimobi and Akinwunmi Ambode of Osun, Oyo and Lagos states respectively were conspicuously absent at the grand rally of the APC held at the Democracy Park in Akure on Saturday for its flag bearer in November 26 governorship poll.

But addressing State House correspondents on Monday shortly after he and the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, met Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Lalong stated that the absence of the party bigwigs was not a problem to the party.
His words, “That (their absence) was not a problem. We explained their absence. They sent in their apologies. You heard what happened there.
“As far as we are concerned, the President who is the leader of the party was at the rally. The national chairman was also there. As far as we are concerned, everybody was there.
“To the party, their absence did not make any difference. If a leader was not there and he has said he was not there because of ill-health, we have prayed that God will heal him.”

The APC Governorship Campaign Chairman went on to express optimism that the APC would emerge victorious in the election billed to hold this Saturday.