The Presidency has said, President Goodluck Jonathan was not accompanied by Ali Modu Sheriff on his trip to Chad and will not interfer with the ongoing investigation against him. A statement by Presidential Spokesman, Rueben Abati, who also briefed journalists at the Presidential Villa, described as unnecessary “hue and cry” criticisms that the President is hobnobbing with the former governor of Borno state.
According to the statement released by Abati after the briefing: “We have noted with surprise, the unnecessary hue and cry raised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other bigoted critics of the Jonathan Administration over the claim that the President is “hobnobbing” with the former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff who was recently accused by the Australian, Stephen Davis of being one of the chief sponsors of the terrorist group, Boko Haram.
“The totally erroneous basis for that charge was the spurious claim that Senator Sheriff accompanied President Jonathan on his recent trip to Ndjamena as a member of his entourage. Although Senator Sheriff himself has already given the lie to that claim through his Media Adviser, the Presidency wishes to affirm, for the purpose of emphasis, that the former Borno State governor was not on President Jonathan’s delegation to Chad.”
“President Jonathan is fully aware of the allegation made against Senator Sheriff by Stephen Davis. That allegation is already being investigated by the security agencies who will make their findings known to the public in due course. The President assures all Nigerians that he has not willfully taken any action that could prejudice the outcome of that ongoing inquiry.”