President Goodluck Jonathan has demanded an apology and a retraction from Next Newspaper, that reported he voted four times in the 2007 general elections.
Next newspaper reported that Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole told some US diplomats in December 2008 that Goodluck Jonathan voted four times as Vice President in the April 2007 election. This report was published yesterday Sunday March 6th. Adams Oshiomhole has since denied making such comments.
Goodluck Jonathan is mad as hell and has hreatened to go to court to seek redress if the apology and retraction isn't done asap.
Press Release
Re: Jonathan voted four times in 2007
Our attention has been drawn to the above titled lead story of the Next on Sunday published on Sunday, March 6, 2011, which falsely alluded that the Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole told some US diplomats in December 2008, that President Goodluck Jonathan voted four times as Vice President in the April 2007 election.
We are completely at a loss how the newspaper came to that conclusion which is attributed to the highly controversial whistleblower site,Wikileaks and said to have been made exclusively to it. We wish to say that at no time did the governor ever made such a weighty allegation against President Goodluck Jonathan. It is obvious that there was a clear mix-up in the story as the person in reference is the former Military Vice President, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, whose name was tendered in court as haven voted four times during the epic case to regain the mandate popularly given to Oshiomhole by the Edo people and not President Goodluck Jonathan.
In addition, what was tendered in court was the electoral register bearing the names of voters in Edo State which had nothing to do with Jonathan who voted in Bayelsa.
Why we still ponder over the import of the strange linkage to the President, we are particularly moved not to suspect that the newspaper is opening its flanks to the whims of mischief makers or some unscrupulous elements who deliberately wish to drive a wedge between Jonathan and Oshiomhole.
We wish to place on record that there was no where either in the tendered court documents or the brief with the US diplomats where President Jonathan’s name featured as haven voted four times. We want to plead that the media should endeavour to verify its facts painstakingly before going to press in order to avoid causing unnecessary disaffection.
Tony Iyare
Special Adviser,
Media Affairs to Edo State Governor.
Sunday, March 6, 2011.
Read the controversial Next newspaper report here
I watched CPC's presidential campaign rally in Maiduguri on AIT on Sunday and Tunde Bakare said the same thing about Goodluck Jonathan voting four times in 2007. He didn't mention where he got that from but he sounded so sure.
ReplyDeleteif Oshiomole denies it
ReplyDeletethen the paper needs a retraction and apologise
thats naija people for you
always hearing this,hearing that
Its true. I was there. GEJ voted 100 times :)
ReplyDeletePeople sef! How did Newswatch make the connection btw Edo and Bayelsa state with Goodluck and Oshiomole?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I don't believe that gist.
Goodluck Jonathan shout go sit on a bloody bin bag. Next Newspaper should not apologise to him. Goodluck Jonathan is the most ineffective, pointless and meaningless "President" Nigeria ever had. I used to think, "lets give him a chance to prove himself", but not anymore. Politicians are the same. They are full of election winning rhetorics, but little or no action. GEJ has been firing blanks since he became "President". Why don't he threaten and sue Wikileaks? Or is he scared they would expose him and his gang as rotten and corrupt? GEJ, though I want you to win the election, but I dare you sue Wikileaks. They will expose you and gang to Nigerians and the whole world as corrupt. The issue in question is grand silliness and you issued a damn press release. Soon you and you grammar destroying wife will start issuing press release on every neighbourhood dog that barks at you. Smh.
ReplyDelete•••BD•••
@ ....BD.....4.38p.m.
ReplyDelete"GEJ has been firing blanks since he became "President". Why don't he threaten and sue Wikileaks? Or is he scared they would expose him and his gang as rotten and corrupt? GEJ, though I want you to win the election, but I dare you sue Wikileaks. They will expose you and gang to Nigerians and the whole world as corrupt. The issue in question is grand silliness and you issued a damn press release. Soon you and you grammar destroying wife will start issuing press release on every neighbourhood dog that barks at you"
Gbam!!!!
Well said o, my brother or sister!!!
I am inviting you for Presidential Debate Tonight.
ReplyDeletePlease no run oooo, If you run we go carry am come Aso Rock.
Just 1 question!
Clueless GEJ
Nigeria is a backward country. NEXT should just ignore the President and his media crew.
ReplyDelete@Anon 2.46 pm...Lol
ReplyDeletesee I dont care if GEJ or whatever he calls himself is corrupt.
ReplyDeleteThats not the issue at hand.
come on people,if he didnt vote 7 times,no one has the right to manipulate stories and lie.
the papers should apologise and retract their statement.
Journalists in Nigeria like the rest of the world should be held accountable for what they write about people.
and JFYI I cant stand GEJ and his camp,
I just stand for the truth ,
lets all stop for a second and stop be sentimental
First of all, Nobody owes anybody and apology. If Jonathan wants an apology, he should go and meet Renee Sanders or whoever was the US ambassador. I refuse to actually believe this. Because I can't find it on the wikileaks site http://46.59.1.2 so I'm wondering how Wikileaks made this 'exclusive' to you guys. Wikileaks post stuff on their site before they distribute to their syndicates.
ReplyDeleteNigeria is in the hands of corrupt cabal of do or die politicians, ex convicts, liars, thieves, fraudsters, rascals, etc. ... Tinubu, Gbenga Daniel, Obasanjo, Aooadonka, Ibori, Goodluck Jonathan, Dangote, Fashola, etc. They cant all be saints. Next Newspaper should tell Mr President to take a running jump. GEJ kiss my black arse. Smh.
ReplyDelete