Uzodinma: Buhari’s ‘I’ll be careful with your future invitations’ remarks distorted — Presidency
The Presidency on Sunday said “I’ll be careful with your future invitations” remarks by President Muhammadu Buhari during his one day visit to Imo State was being deliberately contorted and twisted out of context.
Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, in a statement titled, “What President Buhari Said (Didn’t Say) In Imo State,” said “the purveyors of disinformation” wanted Nigerians to believe that the President bluntly told Governor Hope Uzodinma in his concluding remarks at the meeting with South East Leaders that he would be careful with his future invitations.
Adesina said, “An elated
President Buhari made it clear that he was expressly overwhelmed by the reception and galaxy of personalities that travelled from the five South Eastern States to have a heartto-heart discussion with him in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
“His words were clear: ‘I am overwhelmed by this reception, overwhelmed in the sense that when I accepted the invitation by the Imo State Governor, who wants to justify investments the government has done to the people of Imo State, I thought I would see the bridges, the roads and a few renovations.
“‘He didn’t tell me he was going to get the whole Igbo leadership here. So in the future when he invites me, I’ll know what to do. But I think he has done what the military didn’t like. He has achieved surprise. He has surprised me beyond description.’
“Later, in his concluding statement at the same event, the President made reference to his earlier remarks on the ‘surprise’ action pulled by the Governor. On a lighter note, he quipped: ‘Governor of Imo State, I cannot thank you enough, but I will be careful with your future invitations.’
“The President’s historic visit to Imo State was very successful and the Igbo leaders who met him shared the same enthusiasm that his coming to the Eastern heartland would bring peace, foster unity, encourage good and better understanding among the citizenry.”