Presidency Slams False Report on VP Shettima’s Villa Access
The Presidency has dismissed as utterly false and mischievous a viral report alleging that Vice President Kashim Shettima, GCON, was denied entry into the Presidential Villa by armed military personnel.
In a strongly worded statement signed by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications (Office of the Vice President), the Presidency described the publication as “a feeble attempt to traduce the person and office” of the Vice President and to stir unnecessary tension within the Presidency.
“For the record, NOTHING OF THE SORT EVER HAPPENED,” the statement declared emphatically. “The recent publication by some obscure blogs alleging that armed military units have barricaded the Vice President from accessing the Presidential Villa is not only the wildest expression of wishful thinking but a clear indication that the purveyors of these tales have exhausted both ink and imagination.”
The Presidency said the story was part of a deliberate campaign of falsehood aimed at misleading the public and fabricating a clash between the President and his deputy. “These mischievous and totally fabricated reports are all in a bid to cause confusion and insinuate total clash in the Presidency,” Nkwocha said.
Citing a similar incident earlier in the week involving fake campaign posters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the Presidency maintained that such stories were “a desperate attempt to undermine the President and his Deputy’s fidelity to the rule of law and our constitution.”
“It is understandable, though regrettable, that the mischief-makers continue to underestimate the strength of the bond and goodwill between the President and the Vice President,” the statement continued. “However, their questionable sources or habitual reliance on misinformation have once again led them astray.”
Reaffirming Vice President Shettima’s commitment to governance, the statement added: “The Vice President remains focused on his duties and on supporting the President in achieving the aspirations of Nigerians. He does not have the luxury of time for distractions, particularly those born of the imagination of individuals intent on creating smoke where there is no fire.”
“He’s not and will never partake in their media circus. It is a futile pursuit, even by the standards of the morally indifferent,” Nkwocha affirmed.
The Presidency also praised Nigerians who have rejected these false narratives and continue to support the administration. “Your trust and support are deeply appreciated,” it said. “No amount of falsehood or manufactured tension can shake the foundation of that democratic mandate. Not under the watch of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.”
Citizens and media outlets were urged to disregard such misleading publications and to verify stories through credible channels. “This we owe ourselves collectively as a nation,” the statement concluded.
