By Shamsiyya Mohammed Hassan
The Presidency has, on Saturday, dismissed viral claims that armed military personnel blocked Vice President Kashim Shettima from entering the Presidential Villa in Abuja, describing the reports as false and malicious propaganda aimed at creating the impression of a rift between President Bola Tinubu and his deputy.
In a statement titled “Re: Mischievous Report on Access to the Presidential Villa by Vice President Kashim Shettima,” the Presidency condemned the story as baseless, insisting that no such incident occurred.
Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), stated: “These mischievous and totally fabricated reports are all in a bid to cause confusion and insinuate total clash in the Presidency.”
He added, “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.”
Nkwocha described the allegations as “the wildest expression of wishful thinking”and “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 also referenced a similar fake news story earlier in the week, stating, “Earlier this week, the Presidency dismissed similar fake news regarding responsibility for the circulation of campaign posters bearing the images of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. 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.”
The Presidency emphasized the strong working relationship between Tinubu and Shettima, noting that the Vice President remains committed to his duties.
“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.”
The statement commended Nigerians for their support and urged the public to disregard such misleading reports.
“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 Presidency reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and urged the media to verify information before dissemination.
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