Former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu tried to recruit him into the All Progressives Congress. Metuh said President Tinubu sent his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila—then Speaker of the House of Representatives—to persuade him to join the APC. While addressing journalists in Abuja, Metuh recounted that Tinubu approached him on several occasions, urging him to switch parties and work together.
Metuh asserted that he rejected each overture. He declined an offer made after the 2015 election and another in 2022, when he decided to leave politics. Even after Tinubu’s electoral victory, Metuh said he was again invited to join the APC, but he refused, citing his commitment to withdraw from political activity.
Metuh’s political career has been controversial. He was tried and imprisoned over allegations that he diverted funds meant to combat the Boko Haram insurgency in 2015. Prosecutors accused him of receiving N400 million from the Office of the National Security Adviser under Sambo Dasuki and failing to prove that the money channeled through his companies was used for former President Goodluck Jonathan’s election campaign.
The revelation of Tinubu’s recruitment attempts sheds light on the president’s strategy to build alliances and expand his party’s influence. Metuh’s refusal underscores his determination to stay out of politics despite pressure from a prominent figure. Given Metuk’s past experience and influence in Nigerian politics, this development could have notable implications for the country’s political landscape.
Comments are closed for this story.