ABUJA — Former presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu has denied claims of disloyalty to ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, stating that his decision to serve under former President Muhammadu Buhari was not a betrayal.
Shehu made the clarification on Tuesday in Abuja during a media parley to announce his forthcoming memoir, “According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesperson’s Experience”, scheduled for public presentation on July 9, 2025.
Addressing lingering speculations about his political loyalty, Shehu explained that his appointment as Senior Special Assistant on Media to President Buhari was rooted in the collective spirit of party unity following the 2014 APC presidential primaries.
He revealed that after Buhari clinched the party’s ticket, all fellow aspirants, including Atiku Abubakar, willingly contributed their campaign structures and resources to support Buhari’s presidential bid. It was in the aftermath of this gesture, he noted, that Buhari appointed him as the spokesperson for the campaign council and eventually brought him on board as the official presidential spokesperson upon winning the 2015 election.
“There was no betrayal. What happened in 2014 was a united front. Everyone who contested alongside Buhari offered their campaign assets to support the party’s flagbearer. That was the spirit, and I was simply called to serve,” Shehu emphasized.
His memoir is expected to provide firsthand insights into presidential communications and behind-the-scenes events during Buhari’s tenure.
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