Ahmed Kurfi, a top member of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC), the party on whose platform President Muhammadu Buhari contested the 2011 presidential election, has made explosive revelations.
Kurfi told Sun Newspaper that it was Col. Sambo Dasuki, a former National Security Adviser (NSA), who introduced Buhari to the then ACN leader, Bola Tinubu, prior to the poll.
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) and Congress for Progressives Change (CPC), were the parties that formed the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), appointed Dasuki as NSA on June 22, 2012.
Kurfi revealed that he; Dasuki: Adamu Adamu, incumbent Minister of Education; Kabir Yusuf, Daily Trust publisher; and Wada Maida, ex-Chief Executive of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), visited Tinubu in Lagos before the 2011 general elections.
Kurfi disclosed that he was central to the negotiation of CPC and ACN which later became APC.
“I was the one who led the team that went to negotiate with Bola Tinubu,” the former CPC stalwart said.
He stated that APC was a coalition of various interests that came together to form a political party for the purpose of power.
The politician said looking deeply, Nigerians would find that the APC “is not a political party because all sorts of various political interests have come in”.
Kurfi stated that there exists a long-standing ‘grudge’ between Buhari and Dasuki and that it was purely over ‘military matter’.
He declared that Dasuki introduced them to Tinubu “because they were in exile together when Abacha was after them. Also, Sambo helped Tinubu’s mother when he was Military Assistant to Babangida”.
Kurfi, ex-CPC Director of Research and Strategy, added that “Babangida also assisted Buhari with money for his elections.”
He explained that this was during the campaign for Buhari in the ANPP and that Dasuki initiated the meeting.
Kurfi said the he “was the one who made the arrangements and when we fly to Lagos. Sambo will make the necessary arrangements. But you know the military; it’s just like what Adamu Ciroma said in one of his many interviews”.
He (Ciroma) said they say Buhari is unforgiving and said why should he not forgive? He overthrew a democratically elected government and put Shagari in detention; so if you are removed by the same people you used to overthrow Shagari why should you complain?”
Kurfi recalled that Dasuki was with them during campaigns around the country.
He described Dasuki as someone with “a lot of networks. If you want a detribalized Nigerian that is Sambo. You will see him so comfortable with every Nigerian regardless of your tribe, religion or whatever.”