Shettima wasn’t barred from entering Aso Rock, says presidency

The presidency has denied reports that Vice-President Kashim Shettima has been denied access to the presidential villa. 

In a statement on Saturday, Stanley Nkwocha, senior special assistant to the president on media and communications (office of the vice-president), said the reports are a “deliberate and well-planned orchestration of falsehood”.

“These mischievous and totally fabricated reports are all in a bid to cause confusion and insinuate total clash in the Presidency,” the statement reads.

“These reports seek to mislead the public into believing there’s discord at the highest levels of government.”

He described the story as “a feeble attempt to traduce the person and office of His Excellency, Vice-President Kashim Shettima”.

“For the record, nothing of the sort ever happened,” he said.

Nkwocha said the idea that armed military units barricaded Shettima from accessing the villa is “not only the wildest expression of wishful thinking but a clear indication that the purveyors of these tales have exhausted both ink and imagination”.

“It is a story so far removed from reality that it can only be entertained by those unfamiliar with the inner workings of the Nigerian government,” he said.

He recalled that earlier in the week, the presidency dismissed a similar report on 2027 campaign posters.

“These stories reflect a desperate attempt to undermine the president and his deputy’s fidelity to the rule of law and our constitution,” he said.

“Let it be known that those pushing these falsehoods do so in vain.”

Nkwocha said those behind such claims continue to “underestimate the strength of the bond and goodwill” between the president and the vice-president.

“Their questionable sources or habitual reliance on misinformation have once again led them astray,” he said.

“These fairy tales they publish serve no purpose beyond mischief and distraction.”

He said Shettima remains focused on his duties.

“He does not have the luxury of time for distractions, particularly those born of the imagination of individuals intent on creating smoke where there is no fire,” he said.

“He’s not and will never partake in their media circus. It is a futile pursuit, even by the standards of the morally indifferent.”

Nkwocha praised Nigerians across divides who support the administration and fight against fake news.

“Your trust and support are deeply appreciated,” he said.

“The covenant between this government and the citizens of Nigeria was made possible through a legitimate and constitutional process.

“No amount of falsehood or manufactured tension can shake the foundation of that democratic mandate. Not under the watch of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

He urged the public to disregard the reports and encouraged journalists to verify information before publishing.

“This we owe ourselves collectively as a nation,” he said.

Last weekend, the Borno state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) urged Tinubu to retain Shettima as his running mate in the 2027 election.