Presidency describes alleged plan to disrupt ACN’s Lagos convention as baseless

The presidency on Wednesday dismissed insinuations by the Acton Congress of Nigeria, ACN, that President Goodluck Jonathan’s planned visit to Lagos could be calculated to disrupt the party’s convention in the state.

Reacting to a letter reportedly sent to the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, by the National Publicity Secretary of the ACN, Lai Mohammed, the Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, Reuben Abati, described the allegations as “totally baseless” and “another in the series of ‘wolf crying’ that has become the sole strategy and pre-occupation of the ACN.”

“We find it hard to believe that any patriotic and right-thinking Nigerian would have written the kind of publicly circulated letter reportedly sent to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola by the National Publicity Secretary of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Alhaji Lai Mohammed in which he attempts to dictate President Jonathan’s itinerary, mode of transportation within Lagos, and motive, and even suggests that the President’s visit could have been designed to frustrate a planned Action Congress of Nigeria convention and merger with some other political parties,” Mr. Abati said.

Mr. Abati said it is clear the allegation is a deliberate attempt to undermine, ridicule and debase the office of the President of the Federal Republic, adding that a courteous and simple discussion with the Presidency would clear the suspicion, as the President would only be passing through Lagos on Thursday to Ogun State for the commissioning of the WEMPCO Cold Roll Steel Plant at Ibafo.

He said the President’s visit had been scheduled long before the ACN convention, saying the visit would not have any effect on the party’s programme, as he would move from the airport directly to Ibafo by chopper and return to the airport for his flight back to Abuja.

Mr. Abati said the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Fashola, was already aware of the President’s itinerary in Lagos for the day in line with protocol, which demands that the president briefs state governments ahead of all Presidential movements to their domains.

“Alhaji Lai Mohammed’s letter was therefore pointless and serves no purpose other than distasteful muck-raking,” the presidential spokesman said.

“The Presidency completely rejects the insinuation in the deliberately leaked letter that the President’s visits to Lagos are always disruptive.

“The paranoia displayed by the ACN in its plea to Governor Fashola concerning an imaginary plan to scuttle a political merger is beneath the politics of inclusiveness this administration has encouraged in its interaction with the state, as with all other states of the Federal Republic,” he added.

“President Jonathan is President of the whole of Nigeria. It is strange and intolerable that any political party would as much as suggest that the President is not welcome in any state, city or local council in any part of the country at any time or date,” he said.