BY DANIEL IDONOR
THE Presidency yesterday described as “totally false, malicious and repugnant” report in newspapers (not Vanguard) that President Goodluck Jonathan voted N2.9billion to capture the votes of voters in the South-West geo- political zone, in the April elections.

A statement by Presidential Spokesman, Mr Ima Niboro, said:  “The entire report has no factual basis and its contents are a product of the mischief-driven imagination of its authors”.

According to him, “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who has been busy touring all the states of the federation, including the South-West, in an all-out effort to win the hearts and minds of Nigerians in the traditional and politically-correct manner, has absolutely no need to resort to any underhand tactics to win the coming Presidential Elections”.

Says Jonathan working very hard

He said the President and his supporters across the country are working extremely hard to achieve success in the elections in an indisputable and transparent manner.

“The tumultuous crowds that have attended the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign rallies across the country and the increasing endorsements of the ticket by other political parties, royal fathers and interest groups clearly point to the success of the President’s untiring campaign to convince Nigerians to give him a fresh mandate for four years”, he said

Niboro added that “as he continues to show by word and action, President Jonathan remains fully committed to free, fair and credible elections in April. His being a candidate in the elections has not affected this commitment in any way”.

President’s belief

“The President is also a firm believer in the doctrine of separation of powers and the rule of law. He is fully committed to upholding the independence of the judiciary at all times and will never be part of any conspiracy to misuse security agencies for partisan political purposes or impugn the integrity of the judiciary for private ends”, he said.

President Jonathan, the statement stated, in the continuing countdown to the 2011 general elections, urges all political parties and interest groups to put the unity and well-being of the nation above sectional, group or individual interests and avoid doing irreparable damage to hallowed national institutions through falsehood.

Warns against malicious campaigns

“He urges all political parties and aspirants to elective offices to steer clear of false, malicious, spiteful, malevolent and wicked campaigns against opponents, and join him in playing the game of politics as it ought to be played, with respect and decorum, and without bitterness or ill-will to others”.