The presidency Monday stated that President Muhammadu Buhari was misquoted when he said his government would only favour the zones that voted for him during the election, assuring Nigerians that no part of the country would be left out under the present government.
Reacting to a video of the president during his US visit last week, Buhari’s media aide, Mallam Garba Shehu said the insinuation was a “social media commentary” that was not tenable.
In the video, Buhari had stated that Nigerians should not expect constituencies that gave him five per cent of the vote to be treated in the same manner as those that gave him 97 per cent of the vote during the elections.
But as he continued speaking, he clarified that even if tried to favour one constituency over another, the constitution would not allow him to do so, as he was expected to treat all parts of the country fairly.
However, the video, which went viral, has raised eyebrows with some Nigerians wondering if Buhari’s initial remark was a Freudian slip.
Dismissing this notion, Shehu said: “That is a social media commentary. Whoever says that is just making a social media commentary which is a discussion not regulated in accordance with journalism ethics.
“What the president meant to say was that the world of politics is seen as a reward system by which people expect to derive maximum support from giving maximum support and he meant to say that he is a different kind of leader and will govern in the interest of all.
“He repeated his famous quote that I belong to everybody and I belong to no one. He said he will be fair to all irrespective of how they voted and went on to say that the constitution of the country makes it compulsory for every Nigerian government to run all in livid administration.
“Under our constitution, everyone and every part of the country is protected. That is what he meant to say. So that line was taken out of the context in which the statement was made.
“Taking together in its contest, the president intended to reassure all the parts of this country that none will be neglected.”
When they people applaud it, he means it. When they dispise it, he is quoted out of context. Ok.