Nigeria Content Online

The vice president,
Namadi Sambo, has refuted claims that he is plotting to take over
President Goodluck Jonathan’s job, saying the allegation is false.

“The entire story
as reported is premised on hearsay and falsehood and smacks of
sponsorship” a statement signed by the special assistant to the Vice
President on media and publicity, Umar Sani said.

He added that the
whole episode “is clearly intended to spread mischief and cause
disaffection in the formidable Goodluck/Sambo camp.

“At no time has
Sambo ever contemplated being the vice president of the federation but
for President Jonathan who nurtured and ensured its maturity.” He said
it was therefore preposterous for anyone to even speculate that Mr
Sambo will “stab the President in the back going by the synergy they
have developed which has always been a source of nightmare to their
political opponents”.

Mr Sani also said
the Mr Sambo has never minced words in condemning the consensus
arrangement by the Adamu Ciroma led Northern Leaders Political Forum.

“He has maintained
that he is the political leader of the North going by the precedence
already established in governance by his position as the vice president
and that no such group should go on a journey of usurpation. He
believed conscientiously that such an effort was an exercise in
futility,” Mr Sani said, adding that the Vice President “holds
tenaciously and cherishes his fraternal relationship with President
Goodluck Jonathan and could not have condescended so low as to embark
on a rat race with his boss”.

Mr Sani further
noted that political battles are better fought on the political as well
as electoral turf based on issues and “not through outright falsehood
sponsored on the pages of newspapers”.

“Political opponents should be prepared to confront the formidable
team of Goodluck/Sambo train which is unstoppable rather than promote
and propagate falsehood,” he said.