Buhari: Punch is Playing Politics – Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu has taken a dig at Punch newspapers over its vow to henceforth prefix the name of the president with his rank as a military dictator in the 80s, Major General.

In a strongly worded editorial published on December 11, 2019, titled “Buhari’s lawlessness: Our stand,” the paper said it will also refer to the Buhari’s administration as a regime, until it purges itself of “insufferable contempt for the rule of law.”

But hours after the editorial publication, Shehu came down heavily on the paper, accusing it of playing politics.

He said the stand of the paper came to them as “totally curious and utterly incredible.”

In a series of tweets on his Twitter handle @GarShehu, the presidential spokesman wrote:

“It is obvious that the Punch newspapers are playing partisan opposition politics which has nothing to do with journalism.

“The Constitution of Nigeria recognises the President as the formal official title of the occupant of that office. Can the Punch newspapers, in their hubris address the President as Prime Minister as it pleases?

“Is it within the paper’s responsibility or power to change the official title of the man who occupies the office of the President? Does that mean any newspaper is free to address the Comptroller General of Customs a Colonel rather than his official title?

“The Punch newspaper should separate journalism from partisan politics. What it is embarking upon is purely political and it is designed to play to the gallery and cause confusion.

“Punch Newspaper’s double standards in cuddling some of our past dictators and their open contempt for President Buhari clearly show that the paper has sinister motives for its current curious editorial judgment.

“Its personal hatred for and animus towards President Buhari should not be allowed to becloud its good judgment.”

His reaction comes on the heels of an earlier response by his colleague, Femi Adesina, who had said the stand of the paper is a proof of press freedom in the country.

The reported new editorial policy of the Punch Newspapers to address President Muhammadu Buhari as Major General in his official title and refer to his government as a regime instead of administration, comes to us as totally curious and utterly incredible.

— Garba Shehu (@GarShehu) December 11, 2019

The presidential spokesman also said while the administration welcomes the paper’s contribution, it should however not throw insults at the good voters of Nigeria for not agreeing to its choice at the last election.

He further said it is not within the power or rights of a newspaper to unilaterally and whimsically change the formal official title or the designation of the country’s President as it pleases.

Shehu went down memory lane to say: “It is unprecedented and absurd in our recent political history. The Punch never changed President Obasanjo’s title from the President to General, despite the latter’s refusal to comply with Supreme Court judgment, ordering him to release N30bn of Lagos State local councils funds.

“When General Ibrahim Babangida who wasn’t democratically elected assumed the title of President, why didn’t the Punch challenge him or address him by any title it so desired?

“In fact, IBB closed media houses for several months and years, including Punch.

“But the paper didn’t stop addressing him as President, despite the fact that he wasn’t elected.”