I Didn’t Encourage Amaechi To Leave PDP – Babangida Aliyu

Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, denied reports that he encouraged the Rivers state governor and the speaker of the house of representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal to leave the People’s democratice party (PDP so as to contest for the Presidency. This allegation was contained in an online publication.

In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Israel Ebije, the governor stated that Amaechi who was fingered to have made the revelation has since denied knowledge of the story and has distanced himself from the online publication.

He therefore, maintained that the publication which claimed he and Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State had deceived Amaechi to leave the PDP for the opposition to pursue political ambition as Vice President in the next general election was spurious adding that it was aimed at misleading people.

He said, “Let me state clearly that Lamido and I never asked Amaechi to contest the 2015 presidential election with Tambuwal. Why should we be the ones to ask him to run for Vice President when he is capable of pursuing any career of his choice without our counsel?

“I believe those behind the publication have been hired to mislead Nigerians. They intend to engage in wrong claims purposely to satisfy the narrow interest of their paymasters.”

He then urge media houses and especially online media to desist from what he termed as ‘rogue journalism’.