Buhari-Ugwuanyi’s call that never happened

A widely circulated social media post claimed President Muhammadu Buhari did not take the call of the governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for hours, during which coordinated attacks occurred in Uzo Uwani, Enugu.

The post claimed Governor Ugwuanyi wanted to seek President Buhari’s assistance to deploy security forces to stop the attack.

Verdict: False. The claim that President Buhari ignored the call of Governor Ugwuanyi when a part of Enugu State was under attack is false. Governor Ugwuanyi said he did not make such a call. The president’s aide on social media, Lauretta Onichie, also confirmed that the call did not happen. Full text The post, claimed to have been authored by Governor Ugwuanyi reads, “I put a call across to President Muhammadu Buhari. I was put on hold for over an hour and 15 minutes. This call was made in the presence of 13 men and 4 women, the president’s aide told me that the president would get back to me. The president, through his aide, after 4 hours, told me that the president would do something about it.”

The governor stated in the post that when he heard that the police had not arrived at Uzo Uwani, he called the GOC 82 Division for help, but was referred to the presidency again.

“This time around, I was put on hold for nearly 2hours again. While waiting to speak to the president, news came in that the attack I was planning to prevent has actually taken place. Within an hour after the Fulani coordinated attacks, the commissioner and GOC who referred me to the president had mobilised their men to stop retaliation,” the governor was quoted as saying in the post.

Screenshot of the post circulated on WhatsApp

Did this call happen? Verification An aide to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, debunked the post.

Tweeting on her official Twitter handle, @Laurestar, Onochie states that Governor Ugwuanyi did not call the Villa and he was not ignored.

“Ndigbo are Nigerians. Nothing else. Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State knows that the Villa is open to him and the other 35 state governors.

He did not call the Villa and he was not ignored,” she tweeted.

Similarly, Governor Ugwuanyi has also debunked the claim.

“There’s an online publication that I called Mr President and he kept me for some hours. It is not true. At no point did I call Mr President or anybody in the presidency for that matter,” he said in a video interview seen by Daily Trust on Sunday.

In addition, a former aviation minister, Osita Chidoka, also dismissed the publication.

“The story is false. Gov Ugwuanyi reconfirmed that to me this morning,” Chidoka said.

Chidoka’s Facebook position on the claim

Conclusion

The claim that President Buhari ignored the call of Governor Ugwuanyi when a part of Enugu State was under attack is false. Governor Ugwuanyi said he did not make such call. The president’s aide on social media, Lauretta Onichie, also confirmed that the call did not happen.