2 weeks Ago By Ayo Yusuf
Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Presidency has refuted a report insinuating that the military was used to deny Vice President Kashim Shettima access to the Presidential Villa. In a statement issued yesterday by the spokesperson to the vice president, Mr Stanley Nkwocha, the Presidency stated emphatically that there was no iota of truth in the report alleging that a military unit barred the vice president from entering the State House in Abuja. While urging the members of the public to disregard such malicious publications, the Presidency added that the vice president remains focused on supporting President Bola Tinubu to realise the aspirations of Nigerians.
The presidential statement which was entitled – ‘Re: Mischievous Report on Access to the Presidential Villa by Vice President Kashim Shettima’, explained: “In recent times, there has been deliberate and well-planned orchestration of falsehood against the vice president’s person and office in many multidimensional forms. These mischievous and totally fabricated reports are all in a bid to cause confusion and insinuate total clash in the Presidency. These reports seek to mislead the public into believing there’s discord at the highest levels of government.
” The statement added that the latest in this string of disinformation was the report claiming that the vice president had been refused entry to the Villa. It described the report as a feeble attempt to traduce the person and office of Vice President Shettima, adding that such a thing had never happened. “The recent publication by some obscure blogs alleging that armed military units have barricaded the vice president from accessing the Presidential Villa is not only the wildest expression of wishful thinking but a clear indication that the purveyors of these tales have exhausted both ink and imagination.
It is a story so far removed from reality that it can only be entertained by those unfamiliar with the inner workings of the Nigerian government. “Earlier this week, the Presidency dismissed similar fake news regarding responsibility for the circulation of campaign posters bearing the images of President Bola Tinubu,” the statement added. It said these stories reflected a desperate attempt to undermine the president and his deputy’s fidelity to the rule of law and the Nigerian Constitution, insisting that those pushing these falsehoods do so in vain.
“It is understandable, though regrettable, that the mischief-makers continue to underestimate the strength of the bond and goodwill between the president and the vice president. However, their questionable sources or habitual reliance on misinformation have once again led them astray. These fairy tales they publish serve no purpose beyond mischief and distraction,” the statement added.
The Presidency further explained that Shettima does not have the luxury of time for distractions, particularly those born of the imagination of individuals intent on creating smoke where there is no fire. “He’s not and will never partake in their media circus. It is a futile pursuit, even by the standards of the morally indifferent,” it said.
“We commend Nigerians across all divides who continue to express goodwill towards this administration and who have taken it upon themselves to fight the spread of fake news. Your trust and support are deeply appreciated. The covenant between this government and the citizens of Nigeria was made possible through a legitimate and constitutional process.
No amount of falsehood or manufactured tension can shake the foundation of that democratic mandate. Not under the watch of President Bola Tinubu. “We encourage the public to disregard such malicious publications and the media to continue seeking information from credible sources and to approach sensational claims with the caution they deserve.
This we owe ourselves collectively as a nation,” the statement explained..
