The presidency has refuted claims that Vice-President Kashim Shettima has been denied access to presidential villa.
Gatekeepers News reports that the “ false report” stated that that armed military units barricaded Shettima from accessing the villa.
In a statement on Saturday, Stanley Nkwocha, senior special assistant to the president on media and communications, office of the vice-president, dismissed the reports, saying they are a “deliberate and well-planned orchestration of falsehood”.
The statement reads, “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.”
According to Nkwocha; the report is a feeble attempt to traduce the person and office of Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
He said, “For the record, nothing of the sort ever happened.”
Nkwocha said the claim 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.”
He added, “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.”
The presidential spokesman recalled that earlier in the week, the presidency dismissed a similar report on 2027 campaign posters.
He said, “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.”
Nkwocha said those behind such claims continue to “underestimate the strength of the bond and goodwill” between the president and the vice-president.
He said, “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.”
“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.”
Nkwocha praised citizens who support the administration and fight against fake news.
He said, “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.”
He urged the public to disregard the reports and encouraged journalists to verify information before publishing.
The spokesman said, “This we owe ourselves collectively as a nation.”
