The Federal Government has responded to claims made by Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai that certain “elements” in the Presidential Villa are working against the APC’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
El-Rufai made the assertion on Wednesday during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
After the Federal Executive Council (FEC), which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari earlier that day, Lai Mohammed, the minister of information, responded while speaking to reporters at a briefing at the White House.
Mohammed reiterated the president’s stance that his administration will only concentrate on making sure that there are free, fair, and credible elections and not favor or put anyone at a disadvantage.
He added that if anyone is actively working against any candidate, it is not officially known.
The information minister responded to questions about the Transparency International report released on Tuesday in a balanced manner.
He emphasized that the government has very impressive records based on accomplishments by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Crimes Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and others, and is not concerned about the ratings.
The minister emphasized that the goal of the administration’s fight against corruption is to promote both political and economic growth in the nation, not to win favor with Transparency International.
Mohammed argued that the government’s anti-corruption campaign had been successful by citing instances in which funds and assets that had been returned had been used to fund infrastructure and welfare initiatives.