Vice President Namadi Sambo on Thursday described an allegation by Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, a former FCT minister, stating that he was barred from speaking at late Governor Patrick Yakowa’s one year anniversary lecture as the “cacophony of an accidental politician and public servant”.
The former FCT minister had accused the Vice President of barring him from praising the late Kaduna State governor.
However Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity, Alhaji Umar Sani, the Vice President urged President Goodluck Jonathan “to disregard the comments of El-Rufai as it was done in bad faith” adding that it was the usual “publicity stunt to attract attention to a non-issue to score cheap political points”.
He noted that it was unusual for his name to have been on the list of those invited by the family to speak and he was not called as all those whose names were on the list, were called upon to speak.
“We believe that this is the cacophony and the ranting of an Accidental Politician who savours the joy of echoing directionless vituperations at responsible citizens. We believe the idea was to embark on a wild goose chase aiming to attack the Presidency for political expediency. Succinctly put, we hasten to say that no such thing happened at all”, Sani noted.
The statement which was made available to Daily Times read in part: “The venue of the One Year Anniversary Lecture held in commemoration of the former Governor of Kaduna State late Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa provided a platform for Mal Nasir El-Rufai to once again renew his usual verbal vituperations against the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, specifically directed at the Vice President, Arc Mohammed Namadi Sambo.
“We are constrained to respond to the allegation not minding the motive but to set the records straight. The lecture was organized by the late Yakowa family exclusively, including inviting those to present papers and speak at the occasion. They alone compiled the programme of events, printed and circulated same at the venue.
“All those who were billed to speak at the event and whose names were contained in the programme spoke. Why would the presence of the Vice President generate any problem for him. Was he not aware that the Vice President was a Special Guest and was billed to speak at the event which was widely advertised in our national dailies?
“If he was desirous to raise some fundamental questions on the present happenings in the state, was the memorial lecture of Yakowa the only avenue or platform for him to do so? As a concerned Nigerian, does he not have other avenues to air his views on the happenings in the state?”
