The
Governors of Borno and Ogun have disassociated themselves from alleged
phone conversation in which they were allegedly conspiring on how to
outwit Biafra.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun
Both Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and his Borno
counterpart, Kashim Shettima have disowned an allegedly taped phone
conversation circulating on social media, which was being passed around
as a conversation between the two governors.
In the 20:38 (twenty minutes and thirty-eight seconds) audio,
Amosun and Shettima were allegedly taped discussing Biafran agitation
and what Hausa and Yoruba should do to outwit the Igbo.
Ogun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Otunba Dayo
Adeneye said the conversation never took place and attributed it to the
handiwork of mischief makers and agent provocateurs bent on heating the
polity and setting people against themselves. Isa Gusau, who spoke on
behalf of Shettima accused a yet to be identified presidential aspirant
from northern Nigerian as being the mastermind of the phoney tape.
“The voice in the forgery which they paraded as that of
Governor Amosun is not that of His Excellency and a simple search on the
internet for any speech by him would convince those who are not
familiar with his voice that the producers of the audio recording did a
poor and unintelligent imitation”, Adeneye said.
“The pedlars of such falsehood appear to have a wild scheme
which appears to be part of what may be turning out to be the wider
script, by some unpatriotic elements, aimed at further causing divisions
in Nigeria. It is meant to feed into, as well as further exacerbate the
already highly combustible wave of agitation in the land. This evil
plot will not work. Indeed this is not the first time some unpatriotic
and vile individuals would spread falsehood about the person of Governor
Amosun.
“Governor Amosun is committed to peaceful co-existence of all
groups in Nigeria and will not engage in conversations that would
threaten the peace and unity of Nigeria. He, therefore, counseled
politicians and other public office seekers to play politics without
bitterness and dwell more on things that unite us rather than those that
seek to divide us”.
Isa Gusau, Governor Shettima’s spokesman similarly debunked the audio. He said the voice purported to be Shettima’s was not his.
Gusau supplied a video of Governor Shettima’s interview with the
Nigerian Television Authority as further proof that the voice in the
audio tape was that of an impostor.
“The caller who is being presented as Governor Shettima speaks
very fast as against the relatively slower tone of Shettima. The
caller’s didn’t have any Kanuri accent whereas Governor Shettima has
some Kanuri accent. The caller had at the opening of his 20 minutes
conversation with a so called Governor Amosun, first introduced himself
as a PDP member whereas Governor Shettima is known to be in the APC.
“Also in the conversation, the caller addresses his recipient
as ‘Kunle’ with no respectful prefix of ‘Your Excellency’ as Shettima is
known to be using in most of his conversations with fellow Governors.
“The caller went ahead to contradict himself as he promotes and
at the same time castigates Buhari while also insulting National
Leaders that include the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, Minister of
Transport Rotimi Amaechi, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and also
insulting people of the entire southeast.
“The entire aim is to set up the leaders against Governor
Shettima and also incite Nigerians from the southern part of Nigeria
against him” Gusau explained.
Shettima’s spokesman noted that the latest plot was part of series
of strategies being deployed by a particular northern Nigerian who
aspires to contest the 2019 Presidency and is waging war against some
Governors including Shettima.
“We are aware that one particular presidential aspirant from
the north has declared a war of mischief to destroy some persons
including Governor Kashim Shettima. Late last week, a group working for
him came up with some series of questions claiming they were products of
a paper delivered by one Professor Ahmad Isah Harun who is
non-existent.
“The questions were all direct attacks on the reputation of Governor Shettima. T
“This week, the group followed up with a stage-managed telephone conversation.
Funny enough, they got someone whose voices didn’t even have
the slightest similarity with that of Governor Shettima. They also got
someone who spoke incoherently.
“We believe more of these mischief will come as the aspirant
for whatever reason, sees Shettima as his major problem even when the
Governor has neither indicated interest for the 2019 Presidential
elections nor has he the resources to prosecute such as ambition.
“We however like to remind the aspirant that he should never
mistake Governor Shettima’s humility for weakness. Governor Shettima may
appear soft on the outside but he is a tough bird that has survived far
bigger onslaught including Boko Haram.
“The Governor has survived moments when a sitting President with all his powers and machinery couldn’t pull him down.
“He was able to politically neutralise a big politician who is
today the only problem of an opposition political party. He has survived
different conspiracy theories and we are sure minor intrigues like the
ones being deployed in the name of politics will also come to pass like
those before them”, Gusau said.
-NAN
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