The Presidency on Tuesday denied a media report that the United States of America, United Kingdom and other foreign powers were putting pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari not to seek re-election in 2019.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said this in a statement made available to journalists.
Mr Adesina was reacting to a which claimed that foreign powers, including the European Union, United States of America, United Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia, were putting pressure on Buhari not to seek re-election.
The presidential spokesman said contrary to the report, Buhari was being held in high esteem in the countries mentioned in the report.
He said because Buhari was not flippant, he gave a deep thought to the prospect before announcing his bid for a second term in office.
Adesina added that it was only those who feared electoral loss that were trying to dissuade the President from running by all means.
He said by claiming that it got feelers that Buhari might opt out of the 2019 presidential election, the newspaper embarrassed itself.
The statement read in part, “We thought the fake news was the sole preserve of the social media in this season. Alas, a traditional medium has caught the bug. Obviously, the author of the story just got a brainwave, or got procured by anti-democratic elements, and then penned the mischief.
“If there are quarters in which President Buhari is held in very high esteem, and the work he is doing for Nigeria highly lauded, it is in the countries mentioned. Some of them are equally bastions of democracy, and will not interfere in the democratic affairs of a sovereign country. The newspaper should simply tell its story to the marines.
“President Buhari is not a flippant or frivolous individual. He gave deep thought to the prospect, before announcing his bid for a second term in office.”
“It is only those who fear that their goose would be cooked, if they met him at the polls, that are trying to dissuade him from running by all means, including sponsored newspaper stories.”
Buhari is currently in the United Kingdom on a 10-day vacation.
