GEJ Vs King Mohammed: Who is lying?

The Federal Government insisted Thursday that President Goodluck Jonathan did speak with King Mohammed V1 of Morocco on phone.

The issue of whether or not the two leaders spoke on phone has raised diplomatic issues between Nigeria and Morocco with the latter recently recalling its ambassador from Nigeria.

Nigerian government stated that the discussion however centred on the forthcoming election of the African Development Bank, AfDB, for which the country is lobbying for one of its ministers as president of the bank.

Moroccan royal palace had said last week that the Moroccan king declined a request for a telephone conversation with the Nigeria president accusing the Federal Government of trying to use the king of Morocco to win over Muslim voters ahead of the general elections in Nigeria.

However, the Foreign Affairs Ministry had stated that there was actually a phone conversation between both leaders where President Jonathan lobbied the Morocco president to support Nigeria’s candidate over the AfDB election coming up in May.

“Nigeria is suspecting mischief. We are thinking that there was misinformation somewhere”, ministry officials stated.

“That discussion has nothing to do with the general election in Nigeria but AfDB election. Our own election is a domestic issue,’’ the officials said, hinting that a formal statement would be issued on the matter today by the ministry.

Meanwhile, The All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked the Jonathan administration to come clean with Nigerians on the cause of the ongoing diplomatic row between Nigeria and Morocco that has forced the Kingdom to recall its Ambassador to Nigeria, while portraying Nigeria as a liar.

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