President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday denied playing any partisan role in the election of the chairman of the Nigerian Governors' Forum.
He said he had always shown a willingness to work in harmony with any leadership freely and independently chosen by the governors and would continue to do so.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the President said the clarification became necessary because of what he called "mischievous efforts" by sections of the media to portray him as an interested party and the main loser in the forum's election held in Abuja on Friday.
Abati said contrary to the impression of presidential partisanship and interference in the affairs of the forum erroneously conveyed by some headlines in the media, Jonathan, who is currently leading Nigeria's delegation to the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia had no preferred candidate in the NGF elections and could therefore not have been "floored" by any other candidate as some newspapers reported.
He also expressed the hope that the governors would quickly resolve their differences and continue to work for the progress of the country.
The statement read in part, "President Jonathan has the greatest possible respect for the Nigerian Governors' Forum as an independent body of mature, responsible, and knowledgeable elected political leaders who have a critical role to play in strengthening democratic governance in the country, and who are quite capable of running their own affairs without being tele-guided, as some media reports misleadingly implied.
"The President has always shown a willingness to work harmoniously with any leadership freely and independently chosen by the Governors' Forum for the collective progress and development of all sections of the country and will continue to do so.
"He has not in the present instance or ever before, interfered in elections to leadership positions in the Governors' Forum. Reports in the media which convey that impression are totally off the mark and the handiwork of mischievous individuals and groups with the intention of sowing the seeds of discord and disunity in the polity.
"President Jonathan trusts that as true democrats and respected national political leaders, members of the Governors' Forum will quickly resolve the issues and differences amongst them which emerged yesterday (Friday) and continue to contribute effectively to national development as a strong, and progressive body."
The Punch