Akande, had earlier called the president “unserious-minded person” running a kindergarten government. Describing him as the problem of Nigeria today.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, titled,“President Jonathan to Akande: Respect the truth, your age and Nigeria.”
The President, said, “The interim national chairman of the APC, Chief Akande sank to a new low in this regard when he rudely and falsely described President Jonathan as a ‘kindergarten’ leader who treats national issues with levity.
“We urge Chief Akande and his fellow-travellers to remember that there are laws against libel and defamation of character in this country even if there are no legal impediments to indecorous, hypocritical and unpatriotic vituperations.
“It is certainly rude, ill-mannered, uncharitable and hypocritical for Chief Akande to falsely and cavalierly allege that a President who toils tirelessly every day of the week, evolving and implementing workable solutions to Nigeria’s problems, is handling national issues with levity.
“By his very unguarded and intemperate outburst, Chief Akande exhibited not only an unbecoming lack of respect for the person and office of the President of his country, but also a complete disregard for the patriotic feelings of the millions of Nigerians who voted for President Jonathan and who continue to appreciate his sincere efforts to positively transform the nation.
“It is very sad and unfortunate that unbridled ambition for the office they constantly impugn and denigrate has blinded Chief Akande and his ilk to the visible accomplishments of the Jonathan Presidency.”
“Our advice to the APC is this: treat your party like a democratic association and don’t mistake it for the Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) that someone used to force his way to power.”
The statement added that nothing else but “a manic and unscrupulous quest for power” could have led Akande to make such accusations against a President who, amongst other significant achievements, has been praised for his handling of the insurgency in some parts of Northern Nigeria.”
PDP respond to Akande
The Peoples Democratic Party was also not left out in defending the President as it alleged that the main agenda of Akande and other prominent members of the APC was to liquidate the nation’s economy.
Okeke said, “Chief Akande ought to be a man we would all respect because of his age. When they went and formed the APC, we advised them to focus on the economy and security and not name-calling. But unfortunately, it is sad that they are resorting to name-calling and abusing the President.
“We have no time for such banal talks from these people. This was a man (Akande) who was begging the President last week to come and join their party (APC). Now, he has realised that the President has rejected the offer and that is why he is bellyaching. It is a shame.”
Akande however reacted swiftly, through his Media Assistant, Mr Lani Baderinwa, to the comment by the Presidency, saying “Nigerians know who is doing damage to the economy. Nigerians know who is tying down development through visionless, inept, corrupt, directionless and ineffective leadership.”
“The Presidency should talk on the basis of facts and not rub salt into injury by trying to pull the wool over the eyes of Nigerians with these tantrums and hysteria,” Akande added.
The Presidency to el-Rufai
El-Rufai, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, had earlier accuse Jonathan of playing ethnic and religious politics in order to divert attention from his bad governance.
In a statement by Abati, he said, “It is only a measure of his inconsistency that el-Rufai is today accusing the Presidency of being afraid of Buhari whom the same el-Rufai said was ‘perpetually unelectable”. In fact, the accusation el-Rufai is now making against the President is precisely the same accusation he made against Buhari on October 4, 2010 when he said Buhari’s ‘insensitivity to Nigeria’s diversity and his parochial focus are already well-known’. Today, El-Rufai is serving this same Buhari.
“That el-Rufai is not above lying to the media to achieve his political objective was proven in Segun Adeniyi’s book, ‘Power, Politics and Death’ when El-Rufai was quoted to have confessed in the presence of multiple witnesses who are still alive today that ‘There was no cabal, we created the myth to neutralise Turai’(widow of former President Umaru Yar’Adua). El-Rufai sold Nigerians the dummy of a Turai cabal which was a lie used to further his own political ends.
“In any case, we have a record of what El-Rufai truly thinks of President Jonathan from the leaked secret diplomatic memo from the U.S. embassy in Abuja which revealed that just before the April 2007 Presidential election El-Rufai had told the then U.S. ambassador to Nigeria that the then Vice Presidential candidate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, was ‘clean and honest’.”
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