* Denies return of petrol subsidy
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has swiped back at Frank Shaibu, for accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of peddling lies and propaganda to Nigerians, and being snubbed by US President, Joe Biden at the 2023 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
Shaibu is a media aide of the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, in last February’s general polls.
In a statement issued Monday night by APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the party said that Tinubu was not even scheduled to meet with Biden in US as the. Two leaders had already met days back in India.
According to Morka: “The matter of the proposed meeting with United States of America President Joe Biden does not even require elaboration.
“Having met with President Tinubu on the sidelines of the G-20 Nations summit in India, another meeting with President Biden during the United Nation’s General Assembly (UNGA) had become unnecessary and was not even on President Tinubu’s schedule, contrary to preliminary indications on the matter.”
On Shaibu’s claim that the APC adminstration had reinstated the petrol subsidy it removed three months ago, Morka said this was not true.
“Shaibu’s claim that fuel subsidy is back is not correct. Government’s intervention to ensure some measure of price stability and predictability does not amount to return of the ruinous fuel subsidy of recent past”, he explained.
Further reacting to the controversy over lifting of bisan on. Iberians by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the APC spokesman stated that “diplomatic rapprochement between Nigeria and UAE authorities is ongoing and details of outcomes will soon be made public”.
The press statement, while accusing Shaibu of pathological and cynical flippancy, said he “delved into matters he clearly does not understand or lacks the constitutive capacity to understand as a result of post electoral traumatic stress disorder (PeTSD) arising from his boss’ serial electoral failure”
It added that “President Tinubu is committed to ensuring an inclusive, honest, transparent and accountable
governance system. We encourage citizens to actively participate in democratic processes, ventilate their views, and contribute constructively to national conversations.
“As the discerning people that we are, we remain confident that Nigerians will continue to differentiate between genuine, constructive and development-oriented criticisms and those driven by self-interest, mercenary considerations and disruptive political agenda.
“While we urge Nigerians to ignore purveyors of fake news and other inanities, it is obvious that Shaibu and his likes will stop at nothing in their desperation to distort facts and give oxygen to their politically knocked out principal. But that can only worsen his infamy in the light of the President’s determined commitment and strides to improving the social and economic conditions for all Nigerians.
“The PDP and all its agents of of misinformation should know by now that no amount of sleazy propaganda , muckraking, lies, half-truths, misrepresentations, misinformation or disinformation will confer the presidency of Nigeria on their candidate.”
