Paul Ibe, a media adviser to former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, says his principal responded to the recent explosion in Ibadan in a statement he issued within twenty-four hours of the incident.
Ibe in a press statement in Abuja on Monday, refuted Governor Seyi Makinde’s accusation that the ex-VP was indifferent about the incident.
He added that it was very likely that Governor Makinde was too busy to read all that was expressed in the newspapers about the incident at that time.
Ibe said, “With due respect to Governor Seyi Makinde, we wish to correct his expression about the response of His Excellency Atiku Abubakar to the recent explosion in the city of Ibadan.
“Atiku Abubakar made a condolence message about the Ibadan explosion, less than 24 hours of its occurrence, where he shared his commiseration and empathy with the good people and government of Oyo State over the incident.
“Perhaps the Governor has been too busy to take track of media reports on the incident. But we wish to put on record that on the 17th of January, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar did make a widely available message on the Ibadan incident, which reads as follows:
“I wish to express my condolences to the good people and government of Oyo State over the explosion that rocked the capital city of Ibadan late yesterday night.
“While the government continues to provide humanitarian support to victims of the explosion, I commiserate with the families of those who might have lost their lives and property to the explosion.”