{"id":7856,"date":"2013-08-06T17:45:08","date_gmt":"2013-08-06T17:45:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disnaija.com\/nigeria-news\/pres-jonathan-demands-retraction-of-demeaning-report\/"},"modified":"2013-08-06T17:45:08","modified_gmt":"2013-08-06T17:45:08","slug":"pres-jonathan-demands-retraction-of-demeaning-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disnaija.com\/pres-jonathan-demands-retraction-of-demeaning-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Pres. Jonathan demands retraction of demeaning report"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Citizens platform<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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The Presidency has stated that the report according to a daily newspaper which claimed President Goodluck Jonathan sought to visit former President Ibrahim Babangida in Minna to show him \u201cthe spirit of comradeship\u201d during Ramadan is completely untrue.<\/p>\n

This is according to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, Reuben Abati on Tuesday. It reads that the story is a \u201cmischievous lead report in the People\u2019s Daily newspaper\u201d.<\/p>\n

The statements reads, \u201cAlthough President Jonathan participates in the Ramadan fast every year in solidarity with Nigerians of the Islamic faith, he has never as Vice President or President of the country visited the residence of any individual to break his fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRather, it has been the President\u2019s custom to regularly invite Moslems from all strata of society to break their fast with him at the Presidential Villa during the month of Ramadan.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn keeping with that established practice, President Jonathan has been busy hosting Moslems, most evenings of the current Ramadan season.\u00a0 As much as he respects and holds former President Babangida in high regard, President Jonathan has never indicated any interest in visiting him at Minna during the current Ramadan.<\/p>\n

\u201cTherefore, there could not have been any \u201cturning down\u201d of a visit by President Jonathan by the former president.<\/p>\n

The Presidency however, condemned the decision of the editors of the People\u2019s Daily to publish \u201csuch arrant falsehood in spite of our vigorous rebuttal as a further manifestation of a continuing effort to sow the seeds of discord in the polity\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough the newspaper cites a phantom \u201creliable presidency source\u201d and \u201ca source close to the former president\u201d to buttress its fictitious report, the editors of People\u2019s Daily know fully well that they can never prove the veracity of the false claim that President Jonathan either offered to break fast with General Babangida in Minna or was turned down by the former president.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe therefore demand a full retraction of the totally false report which demeans the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and an apology by the newspaper\u201d the Presidency said.<\/p>\n

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Posted in Nigeria News. <\/a>A DisNaija.Com<\/a> network.<\/p>\n

Source: Citizens Platform<\/p>\n

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