Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu
“We really must stop this habit of blaming President (Muhammadu) Buhari for everything, including issues that are not his business.”
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, was quoted as saying this during an interview with reporters on Tuesday in Abuja.
He was responding to the various reactions trailing the outcomes of the governorship elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kogi and Bayelsa States.
Governor Yahaya Bello and Mr David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress (APC) defeated Mr Musa Wada and Senator Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi and Bayelsa States respectively.
Speaking specifically about the election in Bayelsa, Shehu faulted the purported reports that former President Goodluck Jonathan was blackmailed to support the APC.
He described such claims as false and irresponsible, wondering how such a story could be considered credible to the extent of being given space in some newspapers.
“It just doesn’t make any sense,” the President’s spokesman was quoted as saying in a statement by a deputy director of information, Abiodun Oladunjoye.
He stressed, “Our media really must learn to verify whatever they publish and people who make wild allegations during interviews should be made to produce the facts backing their claims by editors.”
“A newspaper can be sued for granting space to people who belch false allegations against individuals with no proof,” Shehu warned.
He noted that former President Jonathan had been out of power for about five years without any previous allegations of government blackmail cropping up.
Shehu, however, purported that there were more than enough reasons for Dr Jonathan to work against his party in the just concluded election in Bayelsa without interference by President Buhari.
He alleged, “Anyone who has been following the politics of Bayelsa State should be aware of the sour relationship between Dr Jonathan and the incumbent governor, Seriake Dickson.
“That’s more than enough reason for the former president to decide to work against his party, if indeed he did.”
