Former Anambra State governor, Mr. Peter Obi, has denied saying Nigerians have lost confidence in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. SaharaReporters, in a report, had quoted Mr. Obi as saying Nigerians no longer trust President Buhari's government.
But in a statement issued by Mr. Obi's media office on Friday, the former governor said he was quoted out of context. According to Mr. Obi, the report was purportedly based on a speech he delivered on 15 March at the Ripples Nigeria Dialogue.
He maintained that SaharaReporters, in its story, never directly quoted him as saying the words that formed the headline of its story.
“For the avoidance of doubt, what I said during my presentation was that the political class, including myself, has failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians. While it is true that I said that Nigerians have lost faith in their governments due to unfulfilled promises.
"Never at any time did I mention the name of President Buhari, his government or any particular government in answering questions asked by the teeming audience. I only spoke in general terms, referring to the government at all levels and not to the Federal Government,” said Mr. Obi.
He stated that his speech at the event was reported by many other news outlets, including the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), without a single one quoting as saying that Nigerians have lost trust in the administration of President Buhari. Mr. Obi urged journalists to eschew sensationalism so as to avoid creating unnecessary tension in the country.