Buhari ‘not stoned as alleged by Obanikoro’

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied the report that Muhammadu Buhari, its presidential candidate, was pelted with stones during its rally in Lagos, saying “a lie has never worn a bolder face”.

APC blamed the report on Musiliu Obanikoro, former minister of state for defence, who took to his Twitter handle to condemn the alleged stoning of Buhari in Lagos.

“The stoning of APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari today in Lagos is utterly condemnable,” he wrote via @MObanikoro on Friday.

“The 2015 presidential polls must be about issues and sportsmanship moderated with every sense of decency and civility. Lagosians must eschew violence and accord General Muhammadu Buhari the respect that he deserves throughout the period he is in Lagos.”

But in a statement issued in Lagos through, Lai Mohammed, its spokesman, the APC revealed that Buhari and other top leaders of the party rode in a open bus from the palace of the Oba of Lagos to the Teslim Balogun Stadium venue of the rally, to great cheers from Lagosians who lined the route.

“Not once was he pelted with stone during the almost two-hour ride,” Mohammed said.

“It is obvious that those who were paid by Obanikoro to stone the general failed to deliver. We therefore urge him to seek a refund of whatever money he paid to his hired hands to pelt Buhari with stones.”

“Obanikoro’s statement on an imaginary attack on Buhari in Lagos must be his own way of saying ‘thank you’ to his masters for nominating him as minister on Friday, as his reward for ceding the gubernatorial ticket he claimed to have won to Jimi Agbaje.”

The party thanked “the good people of Lagos for turning out in unprecedented numbers to welcome Buhari to Lagos”, saying the centre of excellence “has never witnessed such a huge and cheery crowd”.