A former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) has denied campaigning for the All Progressives Congress (APC) or its candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2015 Presidential Election in whatever shape or form.
He said he never worked at cross-purposes with his boss, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
He said he was only involved in an attempt at forging an alliance between the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) before the 2011 elections.
Dasuki, in a statement in Abuja, which he personally signed, said the clarifications were necessary to “put the records straight especially in view of politics of mischief and character assassination” in vogue.
The statement said: “My attention has been drawn to a false report to the effect that I discreetly campaigned for President Muhammadu Buhari and his party APC while I was serving as President Goodluck Jonathan’s National Security Adviser.
“At first I found the report too ridiculous to take serious but on a second thought, I felt it would be appropriate not only to debunk it but to put the records straight especially in view of politics of mischief and character assassination that are unfortunately the norms today.
“The truth is that I was involved in an attempt at forging an alliance between the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) among others prior to 2011 elections which was not successful. My involvement in that political process ended after the elections of 2011.”
Dasuki said he made full disclosures on his relationships with Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Chief Ogbonnaya Onu to ex-President Jonathan before accepting the offer of NSA.
He added: “At the point of accepting the appointment to serve as National Security Adviser (NSA in 2012, I made it clear to President Jonathan that I had relationships with General Muhammadu Buhari of CPC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu of ACN and Chief Ogbonnaya Onu of ANPP among other opposition elements and that my appointment would not cause me to sever the relationship.
“I, however, assured him that I would never betray him. As a man of honour, I kept to my words.
“Therefore, as NSA between 2012 and 2015, I never campaigned for APC nor its candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, in whatever shape or form before, during or after the 2015 presidential election.
“I never worked at cross-purposes with my boss, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan as being recklessly insinuated by mischief makers on their blogs and social media.”

By Yusuf Alli