Group dismisses Ude's claims against Gbajabiamila, Tinubu, Jack-Rich as 'baseless'

Composite image of Femi Gbajabiamila, Seyi Tinubu, and Tein Jack-Rich.

A coalition of civil society organisations on the platform of the Northern Youth Initiative for Peace and Good Governance (NYIPGG) has asked Nigerians and the general public to ignore Jackson Ude’s allegations against Femi Gbajabiamila, Seyi Tinubu, and Tein Jack-Rich, describing Ude as an attention-seeking person.

Ude recently raised several allegations against President Bola Tinubu’s son, Seyi; his Chief of Staff, Gbajabiamila, and Jack-Rich, a former APC presidential aspirant.

In a statement released Thursday in Abuja, the convener of the group, Umar Faruk Lawal, warned Ude to desist from raising baseless allegations against those who had worked hard to build their reputation.

While describing allegations against Gbajabiamila, Rich and Tinubu Jnr. as baseless, the group threatened not to allow such propaganda go scot-free next time Ude raises such without strong evidence.

The statement read: “Following the baseless allegation made by one attention-seeking political bigot Jackson Ude on some prominent Nigerians, namely; Jack-Rich, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila and Mr Seyi Tinubu. we are compelled as patriots in nation building and agents of Nigeria’s prosperity to make this statement for the sake of enlightening the general public.

“Without mincing word, we wish to unequivocally state that the allegation by Mr. Ude against these prominent Nigerians is not only baseless but an attempt to tarnish the hard earned images of these persons who have played vital role towards the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 general election.

“Jackson Ude’s accusation on Mr Seyi Tinubu of having affairs with Mrs Elizabeth Jack-Rich, is not only untrue but laughable. If Ude does not see immorality and harm in sleeping with married women, Mr Seyi Tinubu, a well brought up Yoruba man and a devoted Christian, knows it is a sacrilege to have affairs with a married person let alone a 6-month pregnant woman for that matter.

“Mr. Seyi Tinubu who have 65% women working with him before, during and even after elections never see reason to sleep with any, it will now be a married woman as such we see Mr. Ude as a desperate attention seeking person looking for every means of popularity.

“The interloper also claimed that Mr Jack-Rich offered a sum of 500 million Naira to Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila to influence his appointment as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We wish to state that this allegations by Ude is an exercise in futility, as those who are ahead of him in the game of image denting and laundering have attempted to do same in time past but were met with stiffer resistance.

“We wish to issue a stern warning to Mr Jackson Ude, to desist from further spreading propaganda and lies on these persons or face the wrath of his action by us, we will no longer fold our arms and watch him dishing fake information to the public in the name of investigative journalism.”

The group described Mr Jack-Rich as a philanthropist who has offered means of livelihood and brought hope to less privileged Nigerians across the nooks and crannies of the country.

“Furthermore we wish to reiterate that the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is a government of competency and professionalism as it’s already being displayed in his appointment of special advisers, service chiefs and SGF which most Nigerians testified to the wonderful choice of these persons. Therefore, listening to attention-seeking Ude, we already know he is just in search of cheap publicity and dancing to the tone of his paymasters and his allegations and that of his cohorts will be met with total resistance from us. If he refuses to desist from his unpatriotic gestures, he will be dealt with a legal fight by the Northern Youth Initiative for Peace and Good Governance (NYIPGG).

“Conclusively, we call on our dear President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to pay attention to agents of distraction like Jackson Ude and focus on the Renewed Hope agenda for Nigerians and the government should be rest assured of our continuous support any day, anytime and anywhere.”