…Denies Fabricated Reports of Barred Entry, Accuses “Mischief-Makers” of Seeking Discord.
By John Audu.
The Presidency has vehemently refuted reports circulating online alleging that Vice President Kashim Shettima was denied access to the Presidential Villa in Abuja, labeling the claims as “totally fabricated” and a deliberate attempt to sow discord between President Bola Tinubu and his deputy.
In a strongly worded statement released on Saturday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), the government dismissed the reports as “mischievous” and aimed at misleading the public.
“The latest in this string of disinformation is a report claiming that the Vice President has been refused entry to the Villa. This is a feeble attempt to traduce the person and office of His Excellency, Vice President Kashim Shettima, GCON. For the record, nothing of the sort ever happened,” the statement read.
The report, which originated from “obscure blogs,” alleged that military personnel had barricaded the Villa’s entrance, preventing the Vice President from entering. Nkwocha categorically denied this, describing it as “the wildest expression of wishful thinking” and accusing those behind the report of attempting to create a rift within the government.
“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,” Nkwocha stated. “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 referenced a similar incident earlier in the week, involving debunked rumors of campaign posters bearing Tinubu’s image, highlighting a pattern of what the Presidency perceives as deliberate misinformation campaigns.
Nkwocha reassured Nigerians that Vice President Shettima remains focused on his official duties and will not be distracted by “the imagination of individuals intent on creating smoke where there is no fire.”
He urged the public to disregard the reports and implored journalists to verify information from credible sources, emphasizing that “no amount of falsehood would undermine the democratic mandate of the Tinubu administration.”
The Presidency’s swift and firm denial underscores the sensitivity surrounding the relationship between the President and Vice President and the government’s determination to combat what it perceives as deliberate attempts to destabilize the administration through false narratives.
