See the pained editorial from the Guardian on the lies told to the paper and the world about Buhari.
IF I were the All Progressives Congress (APC), I would not lie about the health of General Muhammadu Buhari. If the man is actually ill and has gone abroad to seek medical attention, the party, through its national publicity secretary, Lai Mohammed, or any other spokesman, should simply say so, and not lie about it. To posture and make it seem as if Buhari cannot fall ill because there is a presidential election to contest and win is to make the man appear superhuman. All human beings must cave in to ill health and ultimate death at some point. Everybody, including the politicians of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), knows this. That was why the party tried to disconnect itself from Governor Ayodele Fayose’s ‘death wish’ advertisement on Buhari. Whether in Christian or Islamic theology, others are required to show sympathy through prayers to people who are ill. Even animists and atheists do same. But nobody has said Buhari is ill and has gone to London for medical attention. What the APC said was that its presidential candidate left for UK last week to continue his campaign to become Nigeria’s president by way of interaction with Nigerians living in UK. It was only Governor Fayose, who has been all over the old man like a gadfly that said Buhari was admitted to Cavendish Hospital in London. Because people say Fayose is always shouting wolves when there are even no sheep in sight, nobody took him seriously when he said that the APC was on a mission to misinform Nigeria about Buhari’s visit to London. Soon, pictures were floated in the air to support the APC position that Buhari was in London for a different purpose, which included speaking at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, otherwise known as Chatham House, on his presidential ambition. There was apparent desperation to create a scenario that never existed regarding Buhari’s visit to the United Kingdom. And this was where the publicity machinery of the APC got it all wrong. Dummies were sold to newspapers as photos of Buhari in London. One showed him with former British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun and former governor of Kwara State, now a senator, Bukola Saraki. That was confirmed real by some people. But another captioned: Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari (right) with the Chief Executive Officer, All Eyes TV Show, Kemi Fadojutimi (left), during Buhari’s working visit to United Kingdom also came. Coming from Mallam Shehu Garba, media director of the Buhari Campaign Organisation and a fine professional and Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the national publicity secretary of the APC, I did not probe to uncover any hidden motives. And I am sure most editors did not, which was why either of the photos made prime news pages last Sunday. When my Executive Director, Mr. Toke Ibru, first mentioned it that I had put a fake photo on the front page, I urged caution so that we did not hastily contradict ourselves on the right point. But before the end of day, my phone had been inundated with messages from readers, analysing the graphics of the photo and saying why the shot was taken at the Transcorp Hilton Abuja, and not a location in the UK as claimed in the photo caption. I tried to piece together the puzzle, but nothing was adding up to anything meaningful. I mean, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Mallam Sehu Garba and then fake photographs of General Buhari in London coming from both of them. What could be the purpose behind that piece of propaganda? To prove that they could do better than a Joseph Goebbels in the art of misinformation when there was no Second World War to prosecute and win? Ever before Ayo Fayose left for Hilton Abuja to conduct a ‘forensic’ investigation of the photograph of Buhari’s media interview in London, Pat Enechukwu, who follows this column every Sunday, had done his and sent to me his findings: “My brother good afternoon. Please look at that front page photograph of Buhari critically and watch issues I am raising. That bottled water on the table (Aquafina) is a Nigerian product. The newspapers are Nigerian papers with the one on top looking like The Guardian and I mean our own The Guardian and not London Guardian that I have bought and read severally in London. The magazine on top is DSTV Magazine. What’s DSTV in London and who uses DSTV in London?” Governor Fayose did something far more comprehensive and after watching him debunk the controversial photo with striking facts, I was convinced that I had been used to push forth a lie to Nigerians. I was conned by the APC to put it lightly. I called Shehu Garba to reconfirm the photos. He did, dismissing the people raising issues, and I guess that should include my Executive Director, as Buhari detractors. We went ahead to correct the error in our Monday, February 23 edition, in spite of Mr. Garba and the APC. He has not called me to straighten issues one way or the other. I cannot understand the point the APC media machinery was trying to make. Till date, nobody has explained anything to whatever effect. At least, let something, just anything, no matter how improbable, be said. For instance, something like the devil or more precisely the PDP, had hacked into the APC’s works to send the lying photograph to media houses to cause the recalcitrant APC this huge corporate embarrassment. They just kept quiet as if nothing was amiss. In their deafening silence, they seem to be saying ‘we are APC; we equate truth and positive change and nothing false comes from us.’ Or could the aloofness and lack of remorse, even when guilt is established, be flowing from the APC’s belief that it has converted all newspapers in the country to its official newsletters, where anything can be off- loaded and no questions will be asked? Whichever, I am still not able to figure out what the APC was trying to hide. That Buhari wasn’t in London for medical checks? And if I may ask, what is wrong if Buhari falls ill and goes to London to seek medical attention? People far less than him in status do so even more frequently. This man we are talking about was a head of state 30 years ago. In case we are confusing issues, let me state clearly that in Nigeria, no former director in the civil service, not to talk of permanent secretary, state commissioner, state and national legislator, minister and governor treats even malaria at home. I mean malaria, which is strictly a tropical disease that does not attract good medical space in the operations of hospitals in Europe and America. They go abroad, even to India, to be given the same anti- malaria combination drugs that are readily available and more effective in Nigeria. And so, I don’t understand the fuss about a whole Buhari at 72 going abroad for medicals. Is he not human? Or is it because people say he is the messiah God has sent to save Nigeria, he has now become a deity that does not fall ill? Buhari had withstood the rigours of about 60 days of intensive campaigns across the country to convince voters to give him the mandate to be president and just when he thought it was all over, ‘enemies’ conspired to shift the presidential election by six weeks, which means, more campaigns and jetting around. Not all young men can stand straight under such intense pressure. Therefore, if the man ran to London to catch some breathe after the long stretch and also used the opportunity to run checks on his state of health while equally squeezing in some time to talk at Chatham House, in order to remain politically fashionable, nothing spoil at all. The APC should have simply said so and nobody would be hurt. Instead, the party embarked on a deliberate mission of misinformation to imbue Buhari with transcendental attributes of never-sick and never- die. The APC can still make good points without intrigues. Not long ago, the intrigues were of a different colouration when news came that the Lagos Home of the APC’s national leader, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, was under surveillance by military men, apparently put there by the PDP controlled Federal Government. And then another piece of propaganda, saying General Buhari had braved all the odds to visit Chibok and had useful dialogues with the folks up there. This is not the way to represent change in Nigeria. All said, I am still waiting for someone in the APC camp to mount the podium and explain with good reasons what caused the translocation that turned Hilton Abuja to some spot in London. Garba was to later send what he conceived to be an explanation of the blunder yesterday, through a third party. It still does not add up and cannot vitiate my argument here. http://m.ngrguardiannews.com/en/editorial-opinion/columnist/200027-ogbodo-the-lying-photo-from-lai-mohammed
seun, Ngwakwe, lasaticlala, ishilove please do the needful let the world know why we have been shouting and who the APC really are. A bunch of liars with a man aptly named LIAR Mohammed as its Liar-In-Chief.
The greatest fundamental human rights is that a man cannot be prosecuted or held liable for his thoughts or even his wishes ~Justice Babatunde Belgore. That a Fayose wishes death for buhari shouldn't be the reason APC were spamming us with lies about buhari's trip to London. Fayose was only exercising his fundamental human rights as entrenched in our Constitution. APC never apologises when their lies are busted, it's their stock in trade. Take heart Guardian, next time when you get a "good morning" from lie Muhammed always check ur wristwatch before responding.
Editor please come out and categorically say that you got those pictures directly from lai Muhammed and Garba shehu. Please tell us you got it from them
Why are u people so shameless.This is the same way u people intend to deceive villagers who can't read or write or have access to d social media! This is an opinion piece by a die hard PDP supporter and u have termed it to be a guardian editor piece with ur aim being that d dull wud then equate it to be that of the editorial team itself. Tufiakwa!!U people are so shameless with ur lies!! Show anyone where the author of this piece has ever been an editor of any publication of the Guardian or be smeared in your childish folly! Despite all these Buhari is still gaining in popularity.Tufiakwa again!!
Obiagelli: Editor please come out and categorically say that you got those pictures directly from lai Muhammed and Garba shehu. Please tell us you got it from them
He did already.
I mean, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Mallam Sehu Garba and then fake photographs of General Buhari in London coming from both of them
I guess any piece of news from APC should be scrutinised before printing them on the pages of newspaper...
BTW why do we have so many lazy journalists around What happened to investigative journalism Do you expect a political media person to give you something that goes against his party
What stops the journalists from doing their own findings Rather than wait on the media person for information...
doctokwus: Why are u people so shameless.This is the same way u people intend to deceive villagers who can't read or write or have access to d social media! This is an opinion piece by a die hard APC supporter and u have termed it to be a guardian editor piece with ur aim being that d dull wud then equate it to be that of the editorial team itself. Tufiakwa!!U people are so shameless with ur lies!! Show anyone where the author of this piece has ever been an editor of any publication of the Guardian or be smeared in your childish folly! Despite all these Buhari is still gaining in popularity.Tufiakwa again!!
Just listen to yourself. Glad he is one of yours too exposing your lying predilections.
APC is a party filled woth con men.What do you expect from a party that is built on hatred and anger and sustained by lies and deciet.Tufiakwa on that party.The attitude of APC has rubbed off on their supporters making them children of anger and hate
#NeverAgain shall an illiterate,tryannical,sickly old fossil lead Nigeria GEJ till heaven falls
Junk news. APC doesnt need newspapers such as guardian to spread any so called propaganda. The guardian have always been antiBuhari. so they should shut the forkk up.
doctokwus: Why are u people so shameless.This is the same way u people intend to deceive villagers who can't read or write or have access to d social media! This is an opinion piece by a die hard PDP supporter and u have termed it to be a guardian editor piece with ur aim being that d dull wud then equate it to be that of the editorial team itself. Tufiakwa!!U people are so shameless with ur lies!! Show anyone where the author of this piece has ever been an editor of any publication of the Guardian or be smeared in your childish folly! Despite all these Buhari is still gaining in popularity.Tufiakwa again!!
One Week one lie APC should just tell Nigerians d truth about their real motives For me all i see is a group of desperate politicians trying all means to wrestle power from gej, not for d benefit of Nigerians but for their selfish ambitions which is rule and loot
The national conference is a step in d right direction and must b implemented and dats more reason to vote Gej
san316: Junk news. APC doesnt need newspapers such as guardian to spread any so called propaganda. The guardian have always been antiBuhari. so they should shut the forkk up.
Obiagelli: Editor please come out and categorically say that you got those pictures directly from lai Muhammed and Garba shehu. Please tell us you got it from them
The pictures were from Garba Shehu. In my view, Transcorpgate and Airportgate were low points which should have lead to his dismissal.
I am yet to see where he said he got the pictures from Garba shehu.
One of my earlier posts on this subject.
queensmith: APC have a website, a spokesperson and frequently address the public on ongoing events and activities, they also have twitter and a Facebook page. No where in any of these sites have they posted thus photograph and claimed this meeting took place on London. The original newspaper that apparently printed this is nowhere to be found and Linda Ikejis site is a gossip blog, not where one will go to ascertain facts.
Instead of you to follow common sense and understand Fayose has created an argument with himself, you are regurgitating information which has already been proven untrue, and allowing this senseless goat of a man to continue his spree of nonsense.
Queensmith - you advance a spirited argument, but I am afraid there is no getting around the fact that TANoids won this particular battle. Change-agents let the guard down by circulating airport pics from 2013, as well another which showed Buhari going on a walkabout in that same year. To be frank, transcorpgate has to be viewed within the context of the misplaced euphoria generated by those earlier pics.
Of course this is not to suggest that TANoids have been particularly truthful with various claims made in the past few days. From assertions about Buhari being stretchered out of Nigeria - when he held at least one public meeting in Abuja the same day he departed - to blatant denials about his tête-à-tête with Tony Blair, those urchins have demonstrated an apptitude for distortion and dishonesty.
My advise to change-agents is to take the moral high ground and not allow yourselves to be goaded into making statements that cannot stand up to serious scrutiny. I say this because while Shehu Garba started off well with the press release copied in below, he also chased the news reported elsewhere and ultimately succumbed to embellishment - as his latest SR interview shows.
PRESS RELEASE
Buhari, APC presidential candidate undertakes a short UK trip Abuja, Nigeria, 19 Feb 2015: The Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari today (Thursday) left Abuja on a short working visit to the United Kingdom.
In the course of this visit, General Buhari is expected to hold meetings with key members of the British political establishment and interact with some global institutions with stakeholder interest in the affairs of Nigeria.
General Buhari would hopefully give a talk at the prestigious foreign policy hub, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatam House in London.
Signed:
Garba Shehu Directorate of Media and Publicity APC Presidential Campaign Organisation Plot 781 Herbert Macaulay Way Central Area Abuja.
He said he CALLED them. Did you not read the post?
He called them and they confirmed the pics while dismissing those doubting them as detractors.
He called Garba to confirm which picture exactly? Blair's or Transcorp? Till i see a where he stated that lai or Garba sent him those pictures then i take him seriously.
So what you are saying is that there is indeed no evidence of Shehu making those statements? On the whole of this WWW?
We can conclude that he didn't then. Like a sensible being would.
Also I've read from many of the more reliable Nigerian publications the statement issued by the campaign spokesperson and the only mention of Kemi Fadojuti is those made by Femi Fani Kayode and Fayose.
No mention of any of this on APCS website or twitter feeds?
Phew! Found it.
Like I said earlier, I don't make light of issues like this.
" Hide nothing from the masses of our people. Tell no lies. Expose lies whenever they are told. Mask no difficulties, mistakes, failures. Claim no easy victories" ~ Amilcar Cabral
Garba Shehu, APC Media Director speaks to SaharaTV about the elections, and Buhari's activities in London.
Queensmith - you advance a spirited argument, but I am afraid there is no getting around the fact that TANoids won this particular battle. Change-agents let the guard down by circulating airport pics from 2013, as well another which showed Buhari going on a walkabout in that same year. To be frank, transcorpgate has to be viewed within the context of the misplaced euphoria generated by those earlier pics.
Of course this is not to suggest that TANoids have been particularly truthful with various claims made in the past few days. From assertions about Buhari being stretchered out of Nigeria - when he held at least one public meeting in Abuja the same day he departed - to blatant denials about his tête-à-tête with Tony Blair, those urchins have demonstrated an apptitude for distortion and dishonesty.
My advise to change-agents is to take the moral high ground and not allow yourselves to be goaded into making statements that cannot stand up to serious scrutiny. I say this because while Shehu Garba started off well with the press release copied in below, he also chased the news reported elsewhere and ultimately succumbed to embellishment - as his latest SR interview shows.
Was the Transcorp interview anywhere in this press release? I have checked all the known channels for buhari campaign information and i am yet to see the Transcorp interview in any of them. What is the source of this picture? Where did the guardian editor get those pictures from?
Let him post an email confirmation or something. Certainly the pics were not sent to him in a phone call.
Was the Transcorp interview anywhere in this press release? I have checked all the known channels for buhari campaign information and i am yet to see the Transcorp interview in any of them. What is the source of this picture? Where did the guardian editor get those pictures from?
Let him post an email confirmation or something. Certainly the pics were not sent to him in a phone call.
If I am telling you it is, it is because it is. All those pictures were provided by Garba Shehu.
But why don't you listen to the SR interview he gave, to see exactly how he implicates himself?
Obiagelli: Editor please come out and categorically say that you got those pictures directly from lai Muhammed and Garba shehu. Please tell us you got it from them
ma, ya too Behind/fine for dis kinda post step d game up.
He called Garba to confirm which picture exactly? Blair's or Transcorp? Till i see a where he stated that lai or Garba sent him those pictures then i take him seriously.
If I am telling you it is, it is because it is. All those pictures were provided by Garba Shehu.
But why don't you listen to the SR interview he gave, to see exactly how he implicates himself?
The funniest part is that Garba does not share campaign photos, there are only 2 people with such responsibility and neither of them shared the Transcorp photo
Was the Transcorp interview anywhere in this press release? I have checked all the known channels for buhari campaign information and i am yet to see the Transcorp interview in any of them. What is the source of this picture? Where did the guardian editor get those pictures from?
Let him post an email confirmation or something. Certainly the pics were not sent to him in a phone call.
Press release sent to Premium times -- February 21, 2015
According to a press statement from the Directorate of Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO), Chatham House will post the event and send out invites on Monday, February 23.
The statement, signed by spokesperson Garba Shehu, reveals that as part of his ongoing engagement in the United Kingdom, Mr. Buhari had an interview Friday with a local medium, the “All Eyes on Africa TV Show” with Kemi Fajodutimi and met with Tony Blair on Saturday, February 21.
Mr. Shehu disclosed that Buhari left the London residence of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, at about 1.30 pm U.K. time and returned to his rented flat in the city.
What happened to investigative journalism
