President Goodluck Jonathan's scheduled visit to
Lagos today has sparked a war of words between
the Action Congress of Nigeria and the Presidency.
Jonathan is expected to arrive in Lagos on Thursday
(today) en route to Ibafo in Ogun State where he
will inaugurate WEMPCO's Cold Roll Steel Plant.
But the ACN said on Wednesday that the visit was
primarily aimed at scuttling its national convention
today at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos. The
Presidency however described the allegation as
baseless and another in the series of "wolf crying"
that has become the ACN trait.
The party, in a letter to the Lagos State Governor, Mr.
Babatunde Fashola (SAN), said Jonathan's visit might
lead to the closure of roads in the city, thus
preventing its supporters across the country from
coming for the convention.
In the letter by its National Publicity Secretary and
member of its national convention planning
committee, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the ACN said the
convention was meant to afford its members the
opportunity to discuss the merger plan by opposition
parties.
It said it feared that inability of its members to
access the venue of the convention could lead to "a
breach of the peace, the consequences of which no
one will be able to fathom."
The party therefore urged Fashola to advise
Jonathan to either reschedule his visit or use a mode
of intra-city transport, like a helicopter if he must go
ahead with the visit.
The ACN letter reads, "We are concerned that based
on precedent, the visit of the President may lead to
the closures of key arterial roads in the city, which
could prevent thousands of our supporters coming to
Lagos from all parts of the federation from making it
to the venue of the convention.
"In particular, the timing of the President's visit and
the attendant disruption of traffic in Lagos may be
seen as a continuation of perceived attempts by the
Peoples Democratic Party -led Federal Government
to frustrate the merger of our party with other
progressive parties, which is a key item on the
agenda of our national convention on Thursday.
"We are, therefore, appealing to your Excellency
(Fashola) to use your good offices to advise the
President to either reschedule his visit or use a mode
of intra-city transportation, like a helicopter, that will
not engender closure of roads on a very busy day in
the city."
The party said that the President would not want to
subject Nigerians to "avoidable suffering just
because of a visit that can either be rescheduled or
carried out in an unobstructive manner on a
gridlock-prone city."
But the Presidency faulted the ACN claim, saying that
Jonathan's visit which was scheduled long ago
would have no effect on the ACN convention.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and
Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said a courteous check
from the appropriate Presidency officials would
have revealed to the ACN that the President was not
visiting Lagos.
Abati explained in a statement made available to
journalists in Abuja, that his boss would only touch
down at the domestic wing of the Murtala
Muhammed Airport in Ikeja, transit to Ibafo by a
chopper and return to the airport the same way for
his flight back to Abuja.
He said, "We find it hard to believe that any
patriotic and right-thinking Nigerian would have
written the kind of publicly circulated letter
reportedly sent to the governor of Lagos State by
Alhaji Mohammed in which he attempts to dictate
President Jonathan's itinerary, mode of
transportation within Lagos, and motive, and even
suggests that the President's visit could have been
designed to frustrate a planned ACN convention and
merger with some other political parties.
"The allegation is not only baseless, but another in
the series of 'wolf crying' that has become the sole
strategy and pre-occupation of the ACN. It is clearly a
deliberate, further attempt to undermine, ridicule
and debase the office of the President.
"It is certain that Governor Fashola was already
aware of President Jonathan's itinerary in Lagos
tomorrow(today) since in keeping with protocol, the
Presidency always briefs state governments well
ahead of time on all Presidential movements to their
states. Alhaji Lai Mohammed's letter was therefore
pointless and serves no purpose other than
distasteful muck-raking.
"Furthermore, the Presidency completely rejects the
insinuation in the deliberately leaked letter that the
President's visits to Lagos are always disruptive. The
paranoia displayed by the ACN in its plea to
Governor Fashola concerning an imaginary plan to
scuttle a political merger is beneath the politics of
inclusiveness this administration has encouraged in
its interaction with the state, as with all other states.
"We have no doubts whatsoever therefore that
Governor Fashola will prove to be much wiser and
more mature than the ACN spokesman, and consign
his letter to the dustbin."
Also, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on
Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, carpeted
Muhammed, saying he did not have the least
understanding of the workings of government.
" I find it difficult to explain how Alhaji Mohammed
expects Gov. Fashola to control or obstruct the
movement of the President and the Commander-in-
Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
"The insult contained in his letter to Gov. Fashola is a
product of a confused politician.
"We know for a fact that Gov. Fashola is of a
different and higher breed with proper upbringing.
Nigerians must now know Alhaji Mohammed for
what he truly is--a scare-monger ."

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/acn-presidency-clash-over-jonathans-lagos-visit-today/

Hmmm oh God! Is this how election is run in this country
..
..
And please there is nothing special about been first to comment!

Is only God that will protect us from Tinubu and his dogs. They complain to much only looking for who to lay blame. Pdp did this, pdp did that, are you guys not tired. Word of advice put your house together and stop looking for whom to blame for your woes.

Broken TV: Is only God that will protect us from Tinubu and his dogs. They complain to much only looking for who to lay blame. Pdp did this, pdp did that, are you guys not tired. Word of advice put your house together and stop looking for whom to blame for your woes.

Punk azz id*iot, of what benefit has PDP been to ur life?

these pdp jonathan people why behave like kids

Cry cry babies...
A.C.N should just quit whinning over little issues, mr president is coming for a better project that will improve standards, create jobs, etc
Their convention can wait abeg cos I see no economic value the convention will add to nigeria.

nne3870: Cry cry babies...
A.C.N should just quit whinning over little issues, mr president is coming for a better project that will improve standards, create jobs, etc
Their convention can wait abeg cos I see no economic value the convention will add to nigeria.

Imagine ooo....
A factory that not only houses a STEEL MILL but also a CERAMIC and NAIL factory and is projected to provide at least 5,500 additional jobs should be postponed because of one owambe convention that has no economic value...

rooftech: these pdp jonathan people why behave like kids

What are you trying to say? Pdp has done no wrong....

You see why we say Jona is a trainee President learning on the job? Leaders should have a bit of 'class'.

Jonathans' moves portrays him as classless and petty, I wonder who his Chief of Staff is, whoever it is should be fired.

I cannot imagine Mr Cameron visiting Liverpool on the day of the Labour party's convention, he will look absolutely stupid. Ordinary people may not see this, on the surface it looks okay, however, that is why you are a leader, you should see these things.

As a leader have a bit of class even if it means rescheduling your activity to accommodate that of a large group of your citizens. It is leadership behaviour!!!

The Governors of Ogun, Oyo and Lagos are all ACN members why go and disrupt their convention with your visit?

They should not fight o