‘President won’t apologize for Morocco controversy,’ Minister says

monjola sotubo

March 18, 2015 11:30 AM

Wali also said that it was wrong for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to demand an apology from the President.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aminu Wali has said that President Goodluck Jonathan will not apologize for the recent phone call controversy between Nigeria and Morocco.

Wali also said that it was wrong for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to demand an apology from the President.

The minister made the statement on Tuesday, March 17, during an interview with State House correspondents.

A diplomatic row began between the two countries after Nigeria claimed that Jonathan had spoken with Morocco’s King Mohammed VI on the telephone, a claim which the North African country vehemently denied.

President Jonathan eventually admitted that he never spoke with the monarch and stated that the Foreign Affairs official behind the false claim would be fished out and penalized.

Wali in his remarks stated that President Jonathan had admitted that there was a mix-up but he was not to blame and as such could not apologize.

“At this level of our diplomacy, a lot of things can happen. So, we are trying to find out, and I will like to say that the President has nothing to do with it. This is something that has happened and there is a bit of mix-up somewhere along the line. We are going to unravel it,” Wali said.

“So, the President has nothing to do with it. Therefore, people should not politicize it, like I hear some senators from the opposition asking the President to apologize to the country. If at all anybody is going to apologize, and I being the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will be the one to apologize and not Mr. President,” the minister added.

The minister however said that no apology would come until after investigations into the incident had been concluded.

The APC had called for an apology from the President saying that the whole saga would lead to Nigeria being branded a liar by the international community.

monjola sotubo