The Presidency argued in a statement signed late Tuesday by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, that the mob seen in widely circulated video footage were "innocent children sponsored by politicians and terrorist sympathisers."
The Presidency has accused the main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party, of spreading "false reports" about the stoning of the President's convoy in Kano, and putting the All Progressives Congress at odds with the Federal Government.
The Presidency argued in a statement signed late Tuesday by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, that the mob seen in widely circulated video footage were "innocent children sponsored by politicians and terrorist sympathisers."
This was stated in a statement titled “PDP’s sad celebration of the false news of Kano stone-pelting of the President.”
The statement blamed the main opposition, PDP of latching on to “fake reports” about the stoning of the President’s convoy in Kano putting the APC at loggerheads with the Nigerian government.
It said, “The divisive rhetoric of an opposition in a futile attempt to malign the image of the President and the candidates of the All Progressives Congress in the coming elections, and its desperate wedge-driving activities to cause a division between the party and the government is not what will give them victory.
“A so-called leading opposition party that controls 14 states, going into elections with eight or nine of the states in tow should look inwards to see why their campaign is flagging and destined to fail.
“Their defeat is a foretold story by many discerning individuals.”
The presidency also claimed that facts from law enforcement agencies spoke of a clash in Hotoro between local road transport authorities, the Kano Road Transport Authority, and thugs hired by an unidentified group that occurred while the President was being treated to a banquet at the Government House, long after he had finished commissioning his projects.
It argued that “the stone-pelters as seen from the video in the fight against the traffic police were innocent children sponsored by politicians and terrorist sympathizers. There is no place for violence in a democracy.
“The PDP should use the opportunity of the electioneering to put their point of view in a democracy.
“When problems can be resolved through talks, there is no place for stone-pelting, arson and unruly behaviour as we are witnessing in some of the campaigns.”
Additionally, political and religious leaders were urged to prevent young people from turning to violence, stressing that Buhari still enjoyed his respect in Kano.
“The President was in the state to work on the development, safety and security of the lives of common citizens and the happy thing about it was that the good people of Kano State were appreciative of him for the progress the state and the nation at large are making under him.
“It is equally unhealthy for society and it becomes the duty of political, social and religious leaders to correctly inform the misled youngsters to shun the path of violence which is inimical to their own future.”
“Lastly to say that the President has not lost his command and respect in Kano. For those who hold the border closure against him, they must come to realise that the 60-70 integrated rice mills in the city today would not have been in place if he had allowed the free-for-all smuggling to continue,” it said.