‘Lamido under pressure to damage Buhari’s image’

The APC Presidential Campaign Organisation alleged yesterday that Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido was under pressure from the Presidency to cast aspersions on Gen. Muhammadu Buhari with a view to damaging his reputation before Nigerians.

The spokesman of the campaign organisation, Mallam Garba Shehu, said at a news conference in Abuja that the Jigawa State governor is being pressurised to grant an interview to a radio station alleging that Gen. Buhari will only be a figure head president if elected, while the real business of leading the country will be handled by the vice president.

Shehu said Governor Lamido was not qualified to speak on the leadership style of Gen. Buhari because he had never had any close contact with the former Head of State and never worked with him.

He said: “We just got information that all FRCN stations have been directed to link up for a live interview to be granted by Governor Lamido.

“The contents of the interview as agreed with President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo are to essentially damage Gen. Buhari along the line that he will be a figurehead while Osinbajo will be the de facto president. He will give examples of GMB’s leadership style, mentioning Idiagbon (COS-SHQ) and Alhaji Salihijo (PTF).

“This situation, he will claim is unfair to the North as the Southwest will be indirectly getting another term of office as president in addition to the Obasanjo years, so Northerners should not be deceived into voting APC.

“A few things we will like to point out to Governor Lamido’s audience members include the fact that Lamido had been pressured to do the interview because of the EFCC pressure on his sons’ corruption charges. Lamido has never worked near or with GMB to know his leadership style. Those working closely with him in the APC know otherwise”.

He wondered when Lamido became the official spokesman of the north and how much of the cash being doled out by the President has been negotiated for the north by the governor.

He said “When did Lamido become a spokesman for the North? What did he and other Jonathan apologists negotiate for the North as the South West has been doing with Jonathan in the last two weeks?

“As a self appointed Northern interest spokesman, what is his response to the pejorative references made by Mrs. Patience Jonathan about Northerners?”

But, the Director of Media and Publicity to the governor, Alhaji Umar Kyari, expressed surprise when contacted by The Nation for his reaction to the allegation.

Kyari said: “It is not true. His Excellency did not grant any interview to FRCN as they alleged. The campaign organisation is replying to a non-issue. They should quote the interview, where and when.

“I think it is not right for senior journalists and image-makers to be responding to non-issue in the name of politics.”