The former minister of culture and aviation Femi Fani-Kayode has stated that in reaction to the punch newspaper calling the president a dictator, the presidency had banned the said press from covering events at Aso Rock.
Recall that earlier today, wednesday the 11th of December, 2019, the paper took to the press and stated that they would henceforth refer to President Muhammadu Buhari with the prefix of ‘Major General’, stating that it was a name he earned from his rank as a military officer in the 1980’s.
They also stated that they would begin to refer to his administration as a regime because his governance was rather dictatorial and would only stop when his government purges themselves of their contempt to the rule of law.
In their words, “Buhari can still redeem himself and his out-of-control security agents and reclaim his past facade of tolerance. The regime’s repression cannot succeed but will further polarise the society and weaken national cohesion”.
In reaction to this statement, some government officials, amongst whom were the special assistants and aides to the president such as Bashir Ahmad (special assistant on news media), Femi Adesina (special assistant on media and publicity), and Lauretta Onochie (special assistant on social media) defended the Buhari stating amongst other things that the said name was rather a compliment as it was a name well deserved and earned from his years of diligent service in the military.
However, the former spokesman to former president Olusegun Obasanjo, Femi Fani-Kayode tweeted today that despite the casual disposition of the presidency regarding the statement made by Punch newspaper, the said action really did pain him.
In his words:
First you say that there is nothing wrong with calling him Major General. Then you say it is unacceptable. Then you throw the Punch correspondent out of the Villa and bar the newspaper from covering events in the Presidency.
Chaiii! This thing pain you well, well! Sorry o…
