Presidency dismisses claim that president expressed anti-Igbo sentiments in BBC interview

The presidency on Wednesday dismissed the claim by a pirate radio station that President Muhammadu Buhari expressed anti-Igbo sentiments in a recent interview with BBC Hausa Service.

A statement issued by Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said the claim was "completely false, malicious and slanderous.''

He said the claim that the station got the recording from a BBC interview was also totally untrue.

"No one should be deceived by the pirate radio station's hate propaganda against the President. President Buhari has not had any interview with BBC Hausa Service since his assumption of office as alleged by the agents of disunity behind the pirate radio station's inflammatory and divisive broadcasts,’’ he added.

Shehu noted that the last interview the President had with the BBC Hausa Service, lasting not more than five minutes, was on the day he was declared winner and given his certificate of return as President-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

"Thankfully, the BBC Hausa Service Editor, Mr Mansor Liman has distanced the BBC from the false interview clip being ascribed by the pirate radio station to President Buhari.

"President Buhari is the President of all Nigerians and will continue to treat all citizens on the basis of fairness, equality and equity,’’ he said.

He, therefore, enjoined Nigerians to ignore all propaganda designed to sow seeds of discord among them and promote a separatist agenda against national unity, solidarity and progress.