The Presidency has debunked a viral report suggesting that Vice President Kashim Shettima was prevented from accessing the Presidential Villa, describing the story as entirely false and deliberately misleading.
A statement issued on Saturday by Stanley Nkwocha, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), condemned the report as a fabrication meant to falsely suggest tensions between President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Shettima.
Nkwocha described the allegation, which was circulated by lesser-known blogs, as an attempt to spread misinformation and create a rift where none exists.
He emphasized that there was no truth to the claim that security operatives blocked Shettima from entering the Villa.
According to him, the publication was nothing more than a calculated move to attack the Vice President and distort public perception. He referred to the claim as “a desperate act of mischief” aimed at distracting the government from its duties.
He reaffirmed that the working relationship between the President and the Vice President remains cordial and that attempts to drive a wedge between them have repeatedly failed.
“The connection and mutual respect between both leaders are far stronger than what the purveyors of this fiction assume,” the statement read.
The Presidency also recalled similar unfounded stories, such as one involving alleged campaign posters bearing President Tinubu’s image, which had been debunked earlier in the week.
Nkwocha reassured Nigerians that Vice President Shettima remains focused on the responsibilities of his office and is not bothered by false narratives.
He urged the public to disregard such misleading stories and advised media practitioners to verify their reports before publication.
He concluded by stressing that such distractions would not deter the administration from fulfilling its democratic obligations.