Festus Keyamo, spokesman of
President Muhamamdu Buhari’s reelection campaign, says the president never
called for violence in Zamfara state but was “only weighing in on a joke”.
Keyamo said this while responding
to the comment of Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), at a rally in Port Harcourt on Monday.
Atiku had accused Buhari of
preaching violence, saying it is not his first time of doing so.
Keyamo said Atiku made the
accusation out of frustration, having sensed a comprehensive defeat in the
forthcoming presidential election.
“Typical of the PDP and Atiku’s
Campaign team, they have continued in their favourite pastime of peddling
falsehood, scaremongering and misinformation,” the statement read.
“This time, the candidate of the
main opposition himself, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, sensing a comprehensive defeat
this Saturday and out of frustration, threw caution to the wind in Port
Harcourt, Rivers State on Monday, February 11, 2019, when he alleged that
President Muhammadu Buhari called for violence when he campaigned in Zamfara
State.
“Nothing can be farther from the
truth. The Hausa word the President used in Zamfara, which has been taken out
of context, is “fitna”. Incidentally all our Hausa language scholars have said
the word means different things: it means distress, trial, affliction or
temptation. It can also be used to describe rebellion or uprising.
“In this case, President Buhari
was actually weighing in on the joke told very often of recent in the North
that due to the rice boom, farmers have embarked on pilgrimage and the marrying
of more wives. So, what the President meant was actually a joke deliberately
taken out of context: he simply told the crowd to ensure they eat very well
because of the rice boom before they can contemplate giving in to those
temptations.
“Even in some private meetings
with our campaign team, the President has always commented on this joke. Sadly,
out of desperation, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has decided to peddle falsehood.
“We urge Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to
realize that it is God Almighty that gives power and takes power. He should not
use his palpable desperation to return to power (in order to sell Nigeria to
his “friends” and to make them rich) to set this nation ablaze by outright
falsehood.”
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Keyamo keep juggling grenade one day is one day.
ReplyDeleteSense of reasoning has gone on vacation for some ppl bcos of money.
ReplyDelete