Former President Shehu Shagari denies endorsing President Jonathan, condemns Buhari

Nigeria’s former President, Shehu Shagari has refuted a story that he endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan and lauded his administration. The denial was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by one of the ex-president’s sons, Muhammad Bala Shagari, a copy obtained by Sahara Reporters.

The family in a reaction to a spurious report by a pro-Jonathan newspaper that claimed that Mr. Shagari condemned the Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) General Muhammadu Buhari (Retd) and endorsed the incumbent president Jonathan. Go below..

“I’d like to inform the general public and concerned citizens of this country that the speech that was credited to His Excellency Alhaji Shehu Shagari, GCFR (Turakin Sokoto) by some media agencies and online news blogs in which His Excellency was reported to have endorsed President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and commending his government for some achievements is nothing but a blatant lie. And we’ve condemned it in strong terms.

“It is pertinent to note that Alhaji Shehu Shagari is not a card-carrying member of any political party neither does he support the candidature of any politician. Alhaji Shehu Shagari was for long retired from partisan politics, he’s known for his proven integrity and reputation as a distinguished nationalist and elder statesman who treat every Nigerian/politician equally irrespective of his/her political party, tribe, ethnicity or religion,” the former president’s son said.

Shagari’s son further revealed that the former president has never ever issued any press statement or granted audience to any media agency to comment on the forthcoming elections or to speak of any politician, be it president or not “We therefore urge the general public to regard such publication as mere fabrications and concoctions aimed to tarnish the good image of Alhaji Shehu Shagari,” the former president’s son said.

Shehu Shagari served as the President of Nigeria’s Second Republic (1979–1983), after the handover of power by General Olusegun Obasanjo’s military government.