Presidency Cautions Mohammed Over Rigging Allegation

THE federal government yesterday dismissed the allegation of a plan to rig today’s election in Lagos State made by spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, saying it was wrong to assume that President Goodluck Jonathan visited the state on Thursday to perfect such plan.

According to the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Dr. Reuben Abati: “He (Mohammed) is of course lying as usual and rude.

“President Jonathan visited Lagos. He arrived on Thursday and left on Friday. People visited him. So what? Anytime the President is in Lagos or any part of the country, a lot of people come to pay homage to him. There is nothing unusual happened during his last visit to Lagos.

“Senator Musiliu Obanikoro’s visit to the President in Lagos is not something that anybody should use to play politics. He is a minister of the Federal Republic and came to see his boss.

“Mr. Jimi Agbaje is the governorship candidate of the PDP in Lagos. I don’t see how his visit to the President, who is also the leader of his party, should become an issue.

“Yes, Mr. Gani Adams also visited, but so did a lot of other people.”

Abati noted that Jonathan did not hold meetings with INEC officials, meet with the Police or polling officials or with anybody who involved in organising elections.

“So, to say that the President went to Lagos to supervise the rigging of Saturday’s (today) election is most uncharitable and cruel.

“After the presidential election, the President immediately congratulated Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and the whole world has commended him for saving Nigeria. President Jonathan’s sportsmanship, statesmanship and leadership saved this country at that critical moment.

“He has demonstrated his commitment to free and fair election, the rule of law and due process. He has shown that he is a man of character, honour and integrity. Nigerians generally are proud of him.  He has left a worthy legacy and shown a great example.

“That, obviously, is the narrative that Mohammed and his masters want to change, so they are now cooking up meaningless tales.

“Mohammed should look for another target and leave the President alone. His fatuous tale does not make any sense. I repeat: we will like to advise that the APC should just leave the President alone.

“President Jonathan was a candidate in the presidential election; he did not rig the election. Why would he want to rig tomorrow’s (today) elections?”