FIRST LADY: PRESIDENCY HAS LOST CREDIBILITY – ACN

The Action Congress of Nigeria
(ACN) has congratulated First Lady Patience Jonathan for her miraculous return
from the dead, while slamming the presidency for losing whatever is left of its
credibility over its handling of the First Lady’s illness saga.

In a statement issued in Lagos
yesterday by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party
said the revelation by the First Lady on the extent of her illness, especially
the fact that she passed out for seven days before she said God miraculously
brought her back to life, cannot but elicit joy among Nigerians, irrespective
of their political leanings.

However, Nigerians must be
wondering why the government they elected into office chose to lie to them that
the First Lady was holidaying abroad when indeed she was gravely ill in a
foreign hospital.

‘’While we felicitate with the
First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on her recovery from whatever
illness it was that afflicted her, we will be remiss if we fail to recollect
how the presidency denied

‘rumours’ of the First Lady’s
illness and poured scorn on the media and the imaginary enemies of the
government for fuelling the ‘satanic rumours.’

‘’We will also like to remind the
presidency that its denial, instead of full disclosure that would have elicited
nothing more than fervent prayers from Nigerians, fuelled the rumours that the
First Lady suffered from sundry afflictions or the consequences of tummy
tuck!’’ ACN said.

The party recalled that in one of
the many rebuttals, the First Lady’s Spokesperson, Ayo Osinlu, was quoted to
have said that she (Mrs Jonathan) travelled abroad to take a ‘moment’s rest’,
given that she had not taken a rest since President Jonathan’s election.

ACN also recalled that the special
adviser to the president on media and publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, dismissed
Mrs. Jonathan’s reported illness as a rumour, saying ‘’there is nothing like
that.’’

It said that amid all the denials,
the president himself maintained a stoic mien and carried on with his duties as
if all was well, thereby lending credibility to the lies and deceit.