The presidency has
denied that President Goodluck Jonathan planned to visit former
President Ibrahim Babangida in Minna to break a Ramadan fast.
In a statement by Mr. Jonathan’s spokesman, Reuben Abati, the presidency described as untrue the report by a national newspaper that Mr. Jonathan had sought to visit Mr. Babangida to pay Sallah homage and had been
turned down.
Mr. Abati demanded a retraction of the report from Peoples Daily newspaper, saying “though President Jonathan participates in the Ramadan fast every year in solidarity with Nigerians of the Islamic faith, he has never ask Vice President or President of the country visited the residence of any individual to break his fast”.
The statement added that it has been the President’s custom to regularly invite Moslems from all strata of society to break their fast with him at the Presidential Villa during the month of Ramadan.
“In keeping with that established practice, President Jonathan has been busy hosting Moslems, most evenings of the current Ramadan season.
“As much as he respects and holds former President Babangida in high regard, President Jonathan has never indicated any interest in visiting him at Minna during the current Ramadan.
Therefore, there could not have been any “turning down” of a visit by President Jonathan by the former president.
We condemn the decision of the editors of the Peoples Daily to publish such arrant falsehood in spite of our vigorous rebuttal as a further manifestation of a continuing effort to sow the seeds of discord in the polity.
Although the newspaper cites a phantom “reliable presidency source” and “a source close to the former president” to buttress its fictitious report, the editors of Peoples Daily know fully well that they can never prove the veracity of the false claim that President Jonathan either offered to break fast with General Babangida in Minna or was turned down by the former president.
“We therefore demand a full retraction of the totally false report which demeans the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and an apology by the newspaper,” the statement read.
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/42732.html
In a statement by Mr. Jonathan’s spokesman, Reuben Abati, the presidency described as untrue the report by a national newspaper that Mr. Jonathan had sought to visit Mr. Babangida to pay Sallah homage and had been
turned down.
Mr. Abati demanded a retraction of the report from Peoples Daily newspaper, saying “though President Jonathan participates in the Ramadan fast every year in solidarity with Nigerians of the Islamic faith, he has never ask Vice President or President of the country visited the residence of any individual to break his fast”.
The statement added that it has been the President’s custom to regularly invite Moslems from all strata of society to break their fast with him at the Presidential Villa during the month of Ramadan.
“In keeping with that established practice, President Jonathan has been busy hosting Moslems, most evenings of the current Ramadan season.
“As much as he respects and holds former President Babangida in high regard, President Jonathan has never indicated any interest in visiting him at Minna during the current Ramadan.
Therefore, there could not have been any “turning down” of a visit by President Jonathan by the former president.
We condemn the decision of the editors of the Peoples Daily to publish such arrant falsehood in spite of our vigorous rebuttal as a further manifestation of a continuing effort to sow the seeds of discord in the polity.
Although the newspaper cites a phantom “reliable presidency source” and “a source close to the former president” to buttress its fictitious report, the editors of Peoples Daily know fully well that they can never prove the veracity of the false claim that President Jonathan either offered to break fast with General Babangida in Minna or was turned down by the former president.
“We therefore demand a full retraction of the totally false report which demeans the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and an apology by the newspaper,” the statement read.
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/42732.html
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