Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, said President Muhammadu Buhari did not authorise anybody to punish traitors or disloyal members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a letter dated October 2, the Governor of Kaduna, El-Rufai, had said the president directed him to initiate the recall of the Senator representing Kaduna central district, Shehu Sani, in order to punish his “disloyal” act.
He also said senator ridiculed the president’s three-year tenure and medical trips to London.
But in a statement on Sunday, Shehu said the president did not receive any such letter from el-Rufai.
The statement said it was not in the character of Buhari to “usurp the role of the party leaders and instruct anyone to punish a party member”.
“The presidency wishes to distance President Muhammadu Buhari from a letter currently in circulation, which alleges that the President had authorized a Governor or anyone else for that matter to deal with traitors and disloyal members of APC, especially Senator Shehu Sani,” the statement read.
“We wish to confirm that the President is not aware of any such letter, let alone authorising anyone to deal with any party member.
“Given President Buhari’s record, it is inconceivable that he would usurp the role of the party leaders and instruct anyone to punish a party member.”
Reacting to the statement, Sani thanked the president for “clearing the air on the calumnious memo”.
“Thank you, President Buhari, for clearing the air on the calumnious memo; even though I never believed that the President can ‘Direct’ a Governor to recall a disloyal Senator. Another executive lies busted,” Sani wrote on his official Twitter handle.
Thank you President Buhari for clearing the air on the calumnious memo ;Even though I never believed that the President can ‘Direct’ a Governor to “recall a disloyal Senator”.Another executive lie bursted.
— Senator Shehu Sani (@ShehuSani) October 7, 2018
