The presidency has reacted to Mr. Akande’s comment that Mr. Jonathan is a “kindergarten president”

The presidency has reacted angrily to remarks by the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Bisi Akande, Saturday, dismissing President Goodluck Jonathan as an “unserious-minded president” who runs a “kindergarten presidency”.

In a rare rebuke, Aso Rock warned Mr. Akande to “respect his age” advised him and the APC against defaming the person of the president and the office he occupies as there were laws prohibiting against such.

“We have noted with dismay the continuation of efforts by leaders of the opposition to promote themselves and their party through the irresponsible denigration of President Goodluck Jonathan and the exalted Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” a statement by presidential spokesperson, Reuben Abati, said Sunday.

“The interim national chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande sank to a new low in this regard yesterday when he rudely and falsely described President Jonathan as a “kindergarten” leader who treats national issues with levity.

“Chief Bisi Akande has every right to embark on a flight of fancy about the APC beating the PDP in the 2015 general elections, but he does no justice to his age and status when he resorts to propagating falsehood, wilfully insulting the President of his country, impugning his integrity and desecrating the very office which his party wishes to take over in 2015 by fair or foul means.

“We urge Chief Akande and his fellow-travellers to remember that there are laws against libel and defamation of character in this country even if there are no legal impediments to indecorous, hypocritical and unpatriotic vituperations.

“It is certainly rude, ill-mannered, uncharitable and hypocritical for Chief Akande to falsely and cavalierly allege that a President who toils tirelessly every day of the week, evolving and implementing workable solutions to Nigeria’s problems, is handling national issues with levity.”

The statement also accused Mr. Akande of trying to draw the president into a battle of words so as to shift the public’s attention from the ongoing tussle between former head of state, Muhammadu Buhari, and ex Lagos state governor, Bola Tinubu, two stalwarts in the newly formed opposition party.

“Also, nothing else but gross ignorance and lack of consideration could have led Chief Akande to refer to a President who, having served as deputy governor, governor, vice president and president, has far more experience of governance at the highest level than him and his preferred “candidates”, as a kindergarten leader,” the statement continued.

“‘By his very unguarded and intemperate outburst yesterday, Chief Akande exhibited not only an unbecoming lack of respect for the person and office of the President of his country, but also a complete disregard for the patriotic feelings of the millions of Nigerians who voted for President Jonathan and who continue to appreciate his sincere efforts to positively transform the nation.

“It is very sad and unfortunate that unbridled ambition for the office they constantly impugn and denigrate has blinded Chief Akande and his ilk to the visible accomplishments of the Jonathan Presidency.

“Certainly, nothing else but a manic and unscrupulous quest for power could have led them to make such accusations against a President who, who amongst other significant achievements, has been praised for his handling of the insurgency in some parts of Northern Nigeria where he has used a combination of diplomacy and targeted military force to contain the security threat.”

Speaking to journalists on Saturday in his Ila-Orangun country home, Mr. Akande had criticized the president’s failure to tackle the array of needs facing the country including breakdown in infrastructure, insecurity and political impunity.

“I have my reasons not to admire President Goodluck Jonathan. I have not found him to be a serious-minded leader. Jonathan is Nigeria’s problem today. He is not a thinking leader.

“I have had two meetings with him since 2011. I have had a long telephone conversation with him. I have written him twice discussing the serious challenges facing the country but he has not found the courtesy to reply. He has reduced governance to kindergarten level. He is not serious-minded.”

take dat: Why is Abati angry? Are we not aware of his propensity to resort to the use of foul language against the critics of President Jonathan? "Collective children of anger, Medieval era Ignoramus, Sophisticated Ignorance, habitual indolence and brainlessness etc." Abati should watch his own vitriol, those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

In a rare rebuke, Aso Rock warned Mr. Akande to “respect his age” advised him and the APC against defaming the person of the president and the office he occupies as there were laws prohibiting against such

awodman:
Lai mohammed showed the way and Abati after much restraint followed suit...only for Lai mohammed to chicken out and turned around to beg abati to tone down on his choice of words.Have you seen Lai address the president in derogatory terms after Abati's fire..So simply Bisi Akande deserves the dish served him by Abati..

take dat: Even if critics use harsh words against the President, it is incumbent on Abati not to reply in kind because he is not speaking for himself but for an institution. He has relegated the office of the President with articles barely reflected of Presidential restraint. He should carry on with the fire-for-fire strategy with critics since they run a kindergarten presidency.

awodman:
I disagree with you..those are well deserved rebutalls

awodman:
I disagree with you..those are well deserved rebutalls

gregg2: The manner these APC rascals talk most times amazes me. Imagine an old man like Akande opening his mouth wide like an area boy. Akande who does not have any legacy to show for in Osun State where he is former governor. Even to imagine that this same old fool using gutter language is the "Chairman" of APC . . . tufiakua

malc619: Kindergarten President

Lol....

take dat: If his rebuttals are well deserved, he shouldn't be angry with those who also unleash their bombastic prowess against the Presidency. Its a universal principle that if an adult notices some younger, or rather foolish individual acting stupid, the presumed wiser adult is supposed to ignore whatever intention the person had in acting thus and do what is right to show the foolish person the way. But since Abati prefers the Oshodi-Mushin Markets Polygamous rivalry, constantly taunting eachother in a very bitter connubial rivalry, he must not be angry if critics call the President foolish or unserious-minded.

Akinsolacupid: For you to claim Chief Bisi Akande has no legacy in Osun state shows you know nothing abt the man and his tenure as governor. I rest my case

awodman:
Let me give you a short story..
A certain white garment pastor will always come to my street to do early morning cry(preaching)..whenever he starts his sermon,a certain well built young man will start pouring all kinds of diatribes against his person..this continued for long and the pastor will just go on with his preaching exercising all the restrain he can..a certain day came and this pastor couldn't take it no more,he simply removed his white robe,dropped his bell and bible and reached for this young man and gave him the beating of his life.After the beating he still continued with his preaching...

So what am I saying in effect is that if insulting statements are not made in the 1st place they won't be need for rebutals..its on record that since 2011 the opposition has been dishing out loads of insults to the president and it only took this year for the presidency to reply in like manner.What other restraint do you want them to exercise??

awodman:
Let me give you a short story..
A certain white garment pastor will always come to my street to do early morning cry(preaching)..whenever he starts his sermon,a certain well built young man will start pouring all kinds of diatribes against his person..this continued for long and the pastor will just go on with his preaching exercising all the restrain he can..a certain day came and this pastor couldn't take it no more,he simply removed his white robe,dropped his bell and bible and reached for this young man and gave him the beating of his life.After the beating he still continued with his preaching...

So what am I saying in effect is that if insulting statements are not made in the 1st place they won't be need for rebutals..its on record that since 2011 the opposition has been dishing out loads of insults to the president and it only took this year for the presidency to reply in like manner.What other restraint do you want them to exercise??

plaindealer:


Still, you lost the moral ground not only for responding with the same likewise insults, buit also for using the same insults and gutter language on Nigerians and other oponents.

This is not a communist country where you gag and lock people up for petty words against your poor performance. The kindergaten president should just shut and stay presidential.

Responding to every little thing is nothing but guilty conscience, pettiness an lack of focus.

atlwireles:

There is no moral ground in Nigerian politics, it took Jonah and PDP almost 2yrs to find this fact out. A Nigerian politican insults you, insult their parents. If he slaps you, you cut off his hands. That is the only thing Nigerians understand. So Abati MUST strip the old man Akande naked in public the next time, his tongue refuse to count his teeth..

atlwireles:

There is no moral ground in Nigerian politics, it took Jonah and PDP almost 2yrs to find this fact out. A Nigerian politican insults you, insult their parents. If he slaps you, you cut off his hands. That is the only thing Nigerians understand. So Abati MUST strip the old man Akande naked in public the next time, his mouth refuse to count his teeth..

take dat: And those ones too will strip the Presidency bare, and flog it out in the open. Who has more prestige and image to Protect?

atlwireles:
What prestige Do you have any value for the current occupant of the Presidency

take dat: Does the occupier of the Presidency have any value for me? Is he not promoting his own selfish interest and that of his cronies? I dey follow am chop N1billion food?lol!

atlwireles:

You just made my point, so let's allow Abati do his job.

plaindealer:




What law exacly is this petty primary school president talking about? Go to court and say lock him up because he's abusing me?

And the joker is mad because they called him kindergarten president? Is he not even worse than a kindergarten school kid?