A coalition of Civil Society Organisations on the platform of the Northern Youth Initiative for Peace and Good Governance (NYIPGG), has asked Nigerians to ignore the allegations by one Jackson Ude against some prominent Nigerians, describing him as an attention-seeking person.
Ude had raised different allegations against some persons around President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which include the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, the son of the President, Seyi Tinubu, and a former APC presidential aspirant and philanthropist, Mr. Jack Rich.
In a statement released Thursday in Abuja, the Convener of the Northern group, Alhaji Umar Faruk Lawal, warned Jackson Ude to desist from raising baseless allegations against prominent Nigerians, who had worked to build their reputation.
While describing the allegations against Gbajabiamila, Jack Rich and Seyi Tinubu as baseless and lies, the group threatened not to allow such propaganda go scot-free next time.
The statement reads: “Following the baseless allegation made by one attention seeking political bigot Jackson Ude on some prominent Nigerians, namely; Jack Rich, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila and Mr Seyi Tinubu. We are compelled as patriot in nation building and agents of Nigeria’s prosperity to make this statement for the sake of enlightening the general public.
“Without mincing word, we wish to unequivocally state that the allegation by Mr. Ude on these prominent Nigerians is not only baseless but an attempt to tarnish the hard earned images of these persons who have played vital role towards the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 general election.
“Jackson Ude’s accusation on Mr Seyi Tinubu of having affairs with Mrs Elizabeth Jack Rich, is not only untrue but laughable. If Ude does not see immorality and harm in sleeping with married women, Mr Seyi Tinubu, a well brought up Yoruba man and a devoted Christian, knows it is a sacrilege to have affairs with a married person let alone a 6-month pregnant woman for that matter.
“Mr. Seyi Tinubu who have 65% women working with him before, during and even after elections never see reason to sleep with any, it will now be a married woman as such we see Mr. Ude as a desperate attention seeking person looking for every means of popularity.
“The interloper also claimed that Mr Jack Rich offered a sum of 500 million Naira to Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila to influence his appointment as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We wish to state that this allegations by Ude is an exercise in futility, as those who are ahead of him in the game of image denting and laundering have attempted to do same in time past but were met with stiffer resistance.
“We wish to issue a stern warning to Mr Jackson Ude, to desist from further spreading propaganda and lies on these persons or face the wrath of his action by us, we will no longer fold our arms and watch him dishing fake information to the public in the name of investigative journalism.”
The pro-democracy Northern organisation described Mr Jack Rich as a philanthropist, who has offered means of livelihood and brought hope to the less privileged and downtrodden Nigerians across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria.
“Furthermore we wish to reiterate that the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, is a government of competency and professionalism as it’s already being displayed in his appointment of Special Advisers, Service Chiefs and SGF which most Nigerians testified to the wonderful choice of these persons. Therefore, listening to attention seeking Ude, we already know he is just in search of cheap publicity and dancing to the tone of his paymasters and his allegations and that of his cohorts will be met with total resistance from us, if he refuse to desist from his unpatriotic gestures, he will be dealt with legal fight by the Northern Youth Initiative for Peace and Good Governance (NYIPGG).
“Conclusively, we call on our dear President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR not to pay attention to agent of distraction like Jackson Ude and focus on the Renewed Hope agenda for Nigerians and the government should be rest assured of our continuous support any day, anytime and anywhere,” it stated.
