A former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), has denied a media report claiming that he commended the opposition coalition and criticised President Bola Tinubu for failing to meet expectations.
Buratai described the report as false and malicious.
In a statement, the former Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Benin said the publication lacked credibility and failed to state where or when he allegedly made the comments attributed to him.
Buratai said, “The publication claiming that I commended the opposition coalition and said President Tinubu failed to meet expectations is completely false, fabricated, and malicious.”
He challenged the publishers to provide evidence to support the claim, insisting that he never made such a statement.
“Nowhere in the report did the authors state where or when I allegedly made such comments. I challenge them to provide any evidence, because none exists. This is a deliberate hatchet job,” he stated.
Buratai reaffirmed his loyalty to the ruling All Progressives Congress and expressed continued support for the Tinubu administration.
He said, “Let me be clear: I remain a loyal, card-carrying member of the APC. I remain fully supportive of this government, as my calling and conscience demand.”
The former army chief said his years in the military shaped his loyalty to constituted authority.
“For over 40 years, I wore the uniform of loyalty to constituted authority, and that loyalty remains with me in retirement,” he added.
Buratai pledged continued support for Tinubu, particularly in the fight against insecurity and insurgency.
He said, “I will continue to support constituted authority under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, especially as the military intensifies its counterinsurgency efforts to bring total security to the nation.”
The retired general accused those behind the report of attempting to damage his reputation.
“Those behind this wicked and reckless publication are serial peddlers of falsehood. They have tried before to tarnish my image and pull me down. And just as they failed in the past, they will fail again miserably,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to disregard the report, describing it as the product of “jaundiced and hate-filled hearts.”
“To the promoters of this vile agenda: Allah Ya fiku. Your efforts will come to nothing,” he declared.