2019 election: IBB denies asking Buhari to step down

 Nigeria's former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, has reacted to a media report which alleged that he advised President Buhari to step down ahead of the general election

- Babangida said the story was far from the truth because he has no social media account

- The former military president, however, advised the social media community and the general public to be wary of the fake accounts and mischievous fake online news

A former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, has debunked social media reports crediting him to have advised President Muhammadu Buhari to step down ahead of the forthcoming election.

Daily Trust reports that an online platform had alluded to a social media account where the former military president was alleged to have advised the president to step aside and rather support a younger candidate.

Legit.ng gathered the former military president said he did not have any social media account as being speculated by many Nigerians.

In the story titled, “Babaginda advises Buhari: please step down”, IBB was quoted to have said: "In the fullness of our present realities, we need to cooperate with President Muhammadu Buhari to complete his term of office on May 29 and collectively prepare the way for new generation of leaders to assume the mantle of leadership of the country.

“While offering this advice, I speak as a stakeholder, former president, concerned Nigerian and a patriot who desires to see new paradigms in our shared commitment to get this country running.

“While saying this also, I do not intend to deny President Buhari his inalienable right to vote and be voted for, but there comes a time in the life of a nation when personal ambition should not override national interest."

The media office of IBB on Monday, February 18, however, said that the former leader has no social media account and couldn’t have turned to same to air his views on the state of affairs in the country.

“The attention of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida GCFR, has been drawn to the existence of several twitter handles and “social media” purportedly owned by the former military president.

“The media office of the former military president wishes to inform the general public, particularly social media community that General Babangida currently has no twitter handle or any social media platform.

“Also, we wish to state categorically that the twitter handles bearing the name and photographs of General Babangida are fake and targeted at misleading unsuspecting members of the public," the statement said.

The statement reiterated that General Babangida is an elder statesman and a peacemaker, adding that he couldn’t have articulated a position as malicious as the said story.

The statement advised the social media community and the general public to be wary of the fake accounts, mischievous fake online news and discountenance whatever message conveyed therein.

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