Reports that Vice President Kashim Shettima was refused entry to the Presidential Villa in Abuja have been characterized by the Presidency as malicious and untrue.
The Presidency said the allegations were “totally fabricated” and intended to mislead the public into thinking there was a rift between President Bola Tinubu and his deputy in a statement released on Saturday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President).
The statement was captioned ‘Re: Mischievous Report On Access To The Presidential Villa By Vice President Kashim Shettima, GCON’.
A report stating that the Vice President has been denied access to the Villa is the most recent in this series of false information.
“This is a weak attempt to translate His Excellency, Vice President Kashim Shettima, GCON, and his office. Nothing of that kind ever occurred, for the record,” the statement said.
According to the report, which spread through “obscure blogs,” military soldiers had blocked the Villa’s entrance to keep the vice president out.
Nkwocha dismissed the claim as “the wildest expression of wishful thinking” and accused those behind it of attempting to sow discord within the government.
The statement added, “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 statement also recalled a similar rumour earlier in the week regarding campaign posters bearing the image of Tinubu, which was also debunked by the Presidency.
Nkwocha assured Nigerians that Shettima remains focused on his duties and would not be distracted by “the imagination of individuals intent on creating smoke where there is no fire.”
He urged members of the public to disregard the report and encouraged journalists to verify information from credible sources, stating that no amount of falsehood would undermine the democratic mandate of the Tinubu administration.
About The Author
