The Presidency has described Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State as a liar over his claim that President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered security forces not to move against Fulani herdsmen responsible for recent violence.
The attack by the Presidency is contained in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu.
It said Ortom made the claim in a recent interview where he stated that a high ranking security personnel informed him of Buhari’s directive.
The Presidency said the false claim of the governor was plain for all to see, just as it challenged him to name the personnel involved.
It said it was disappointing that Ortom chose to spread divisive lie in a period of heightened insecurity.
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The statement reads in full:
“In a recent interview, the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, claimed that high ranking security personnel had informed him personally that President Buhari had ordered security forces not to move against the Fulani herdsmen responsible for recent violence. These ridiculous claims are patently untrue. If he is as brave as he claims to be, let him name names. Let him name the military personnel who told him this story or forever shut up.
“It is disappointing that Ortom, who in the same interview describes himself as a child of God who believes in being lawful and respects the Nigerian constitution, felt the need to spread such a divisive lie. In a period of heightened insecurity, our politicians should be working to bring us closer together, not risking further violence by dishonestly seeking to further divide us along ethnic or religious lines.
“Fortunately, the cheap, dog whistle politics behind Ortom’s falsehood are plain for all to see. He is not the first opportunistic politician who has attempted to sow discord amongst his country’s people in the run-up to an election; sadly, he will not be the last.
“The Nigerian people will see him for what he is: an opportunist flaunting his wares as the country prepares to elect its next president; a man fond of posing in military fatigue who expects the country to believe Nigeria’s top security personnel would share high-level confidential information with him. To be clear: they do not.”
