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

So this truly happened? And then I now believe sincerely that APC leaders are purely Propaganda Geeks. So factual from Guardian Editor. To come out with this, he must be deeply pained!

I can feel the pain of the author for unjustly been used by the fraudulent Apisscheat leaders

Wow. Quite revealing.
FP so others can see the truth.
ishilove lalasticala seun Ngwakwe

APC unravelling by the hour.
The rate at which APC is falling, they will soon beat David Moyes record at ManU.

The devilAPC is a liar

Chai APC!

In secondary school we read a book called One Week, One Trouble with the main character being Wilson Tabor.

APC has undoubtedly become the wilson tabor of political parties in Africa. One week One Lie or is it A new Day A New Lie?

DebateNigeria:
Wow. Quite revealing.
FP so others can see the truth.
ishilove lalasticala seun Ngwakwe

I second the motion with the addition of Obinoscopy and mynd44

Rad1cal:


I second the motion with the addition of Obinoscopy and mynd44

Haba, ishilove Lalasticala this this should be on FP by now....since 7am

DebateNigeria:

Haba, ishilove Lalasticala this this should be on FP by now....since 7am

they're in church for thanksgiving service

Am waiting for fools to come and ahout sai Buhari, dey will still open dem smelling mouth dat even in d lies dey will still vote for apc