The Presidency has alerted the nation of another orchestrated smear
campaign against President Muhammadu Buhari, using some online
newspapers and blogs.
Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s spokesman, who raised the alert in a
statement in Abuja on Friday, said the campaign was designed to further
exacerbate tension in the land, by portraying the president as pandering
to ethnic and other primordial tendencies.
According to him, this narrative is contrary to Buhari’s pledge to
belong to all Nigerians.
The statement read in part: “The campaign, scheduled to be launched
anytime soon through editorials and purported special investigative
stories, is designed to further exacerbate tension in the land, by
portraying the President as pandering to ethnic and other primordial
tendencies, contrary to his pledge to belong to all Nigerians.
“Impeccable security findings indicate that those behind the plot have
procured online blogs and newspapers, which are to launch coordinated
publications, alleging subjugation and suppression of a particular
religion and ethnic groups.
“A specific medium has so far contacted some opinion leaders, especially
those very critical of President Buhari.
“Part of the planned publication is to make unwary readers believe that
the President has continually used the powers of his office to shield
and protect an ethnic group against crimes of murder, kidnappings, rape
and banditry in the southern, middle belt and some northern states.
“The publication will also refer Nigerians to a 58-page document, which
chronicles purported atrocities of the ethnic group in the South since
2017, all of which it claims the Presidency has turned blind eyes to.
“Again, the hatchet job will allege that the President has continued to
place members of his ethnic nationality in sensitive positions, so as to
confer undue advantage on them. This allegation is by no means supported
with reasonable facts and figures.’’
Buhari had on Thursday while meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian
Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), led by Sultan of Sokoto,
Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, restated his even-handedness on the issues of
ethnicity and religion.
The president said: “The Federal Government under my leadership does
not, and will not, allow religious prejudice or partisanship to
influence any of its decisions and policies.
“It is my solemn decision to be fair and just to all segments of
society.”
Adesina, however, maintained that those who were bent on stoking ethnic
and religious unrest in the country had remained deaf to reason, and
impervious to reality.
“They are hell-bent on distorting reality, and Nigerians are urged to be
wary of them. It is all about quest for power, and filthy lucre,’’ he
added.(NAN)