Vice-President Kashim Shettima has described as mischievous, reports making the rounds that he has been barred from entering the Presidential Villa.
Last Friday night, reports had emerged from an online platform that the the Vice President had been barred from the Villa by a detachment of security operatives and had been confined to his home until the President returns from his overseas trip.
But reacting to the development in a statement on Saturday, Mr Stanley Nkwocha, the Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President said, “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.”
Mr Nkwocha said, “The latest in this string of disinformation is a report claiming that the Vice President has been refused entry to the Villa. This is a feeble attempt to traduce the person and office of the Vice President, Kashim Shettima. For the record, Nothing of the sort ever 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.”
He explained that earlier last week, the Presidency dismissed similar fake news regarding responsibility for the circulation of campaign posters bearing the images of President Bola Tinubu.
“These stories reflect a desperate attempt to undermine the President and his Deputy’s fidelity to the rule of law and our constitution. Let it be known 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 Vice President remains focused on his duties and on supporting the President in achieving the aspirations of Nigerians. He 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.
“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 Ahmed Tinubu,”
The Presidency therefore encouraged 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.”