My Lagos visit not to rig elections for Jimi Agbaje - Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday faulted a claim
by the All Progressives Congress that his Thursday visit
to Lagos was to coordinate rigging plans for the Peoples
Democratic Party in the Saturday governorship election.
He wondered why he would rig the governorship election for
the PDP when he did not rig the March 28 presidential
election in which he was a candidate.
Jonathan's position was contained in a statement made
available to journalists by his Special Adviser on Media and
Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati.
Abati insisted that there was nothing unusual in people
paying homage to the President when he is on a visit to
Lagos or any other part of the country.
He said the APC spokesman lied as usual and was rude to
insinuate that Jonathan met with people in Lagos for the
purpose of rigging the elections.
The presidential spokesman said Muhammed and his
paymasters were only cooking up meaningless tales in order
to change the commendation Jonathan had received across
the globe for conceding defeat in the presidential election.
He said, "Lai Muhammed is wrong to say that the President
came to Lagos to rig the governorship and State House of
Assembly elections scheduled for Saturday, April 11. He is of
course lying as usual. And rude.
"President Jonathan visited Lagos. He arrived on Thursday
and left on Friday. People visited him. So what? Anytime the
President is in Lagos or any part of the country, a lot of
people come to pay homage to him.
"Nothing unusual happened during his last visit to Lagos.
Senator Musiliu Obanikoro's visit to the President in Lagos is
not something that anybody should use to play politics. Koro
is a Minister of the Federal Republic. He came to see his
boss.
"Mr. Jimi Agbaje is the governorship candidate of the PDP in
Lagos. I don't see how his visit to the President, who is also
the leader of his party, the PDP, should become an issue.
"Yes, Gani Adams also visited, but so did a lot of other
people."
Abati added that the President did not hold meetings with
INEC officials, neither did he meet with the police, polling
officials or with anybody who is involved in organising
elections.
He said to claim that the President went to Lagos to
supervise the rigging of Saturday's election was most
uncharitable and cruel.
"After the presidential election, the President immediately
congratulated Gen. Buhari and the whole world has
commended him for saving Nigeria.
"President Jonathan's sportsmanship, statesmanship and
leadership saved this country at that critical moment. He has
demonstrated his commitment to free and fair election, the
rule of law and due process. He has shown that he is a man
of character, honour and integrity. Nigerians generally are
proud of him.
"He has left a worthy legacy and shown a great example.
That, obviously, is the narrative that Lai Muhammed and his
masters want to change, so they are now cooking up
meaningless tales.
"Lai Muhammed should look for another target and leave
the President alone. His fatuous tale does not make any
sense. I repeat: we will like to advise that the APC should
just leave the President alone.
"President Jonathan was a candidate in the presidential
election; he did not rig the election. Why would he want to
rig tomorrow's elections? he added.