Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja
THE Presidency on Wednesday criticized The Punch’s decision to re-designate President Muhammadu Buhari as ‘Major General’ and his administration as ‘a regime.’
It accused the newspaper of abandoning its journalistic roles to play “partisan opposition politics”.
The newspaper yesterday in scathing front page comment announced that it would henceforth reffer to the President as Maj.-Gen. and his administration as regime because of the disobidience of the government to the rule of law.
In a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity Mallam Garba Shehu, it urged the newspaper not to resort to insulting the electorate who twice voted for President Buhari
Shehu agreed with the opinion of his colleague, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, that the fact that the newspaper could draw a battle line with the government and the President without any consequence showed that free speech and the freedom of press were very much alive in the country.
The statement said: “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.
“The paper claimed that it is changing President Buhari’s official title to General because of his government’s alleged disregard for the rule of law.
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“Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), for that is his title, and he was indeed a Major General, but today retired from that position and now twice democratically elected president of Nigeria – is not the choice of Punch Newspaper’s editors and owners, that is clear.
“He is, however, the two-time electoral choice of the voters of Nigeria, those very people who Punch Newspapers described this morning as “lethargic”: a disdaining epithet apportioned to decent, hard-working, everyday Nigerians for not agreeing with, and for not having voted in line with their publication’s editorial and political opinions.
“Punch’s editorial today is, however, entirely in line with holding and exercising the right of free speech and freedom of the press, as my friend and colleague, Femi Adesina said earlier today.
“Femi, Special Adviser, Media and Publicity said the fact the Punch can insult the President in a front page editorial and they go home to sleep, peacefully, is the best testimony to the prevalence of the freedom of the press and of expression in the country.
“To quote him, “rather than being pejorative, addressing President Buhari by his military rank is another testimony to free speech and freedom of the press, which this administration (or regime, if anyone prefers: it is a matter of semantics) has pledged to uphold and preserve.”
“In countries around the world where this right does not exist, newspapers do not publish articles such as the one Punch did today; nor do they get to express political opinions contrary to that of government. The exact freedoms Punch claims are missing are self-evident here – in print, on the internet – for all Nigerians and the whole world to see.
“There is nothing wrong with expressing contrary opinions to this government – nor being in opposition to the president: this is the right of very Nigerian.
“However, calling for the armed overthrow of the democratically elected administration is a different matter entirely: this Punch has in no way done – but others who they seek to defend, have. There is the difference. Punch: oppose the government as much as you want to.
“We welcome your contribution to the debate. But we ask you not to throw insults at the good voters of Nigeria for not agreeing to your choice at the last election.
“Oppose in good humour: for that is the mark of the true democrat – that which you purport to be.
“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.”
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