A former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed claims that he was humiliated by protesters in Owerri, the capital of Imo State.
El-Rufai’s media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, in a statement on Sunday night, stated that there was no truth to claims that the former Kaduna governor and erstwhile presidential candidate Peter Obi were booed during their visit to the state.
Adekeye explained that Obi was not at the event and his principal was warmly received by the leadership of the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri,
He said, “Peter Obi did not attend the 2025 Odenigbo Lecture, having notified Malam Nasir El-Rufai early on Saturday morning of his intention to take some rest. Reporting the presence at an event of a man who was not there betrays the non-factual character of the story.
“Malam Nasir El-Rufai, who attended the event, drove into the Assumpta Cathedral without incident and was led to the venue of the 2025 Odenigbo Lecture.
“He was warmly received by the leadership of the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri, which had invited him to the event. He was introduced to the lecturer of the day, Revd. Sister Prof. Evangeline Tochukwu Talia Oparaocha, and thereafter sat next to His Grace, Archbishop Lucius Ugochi, the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri.
“After the citation of the guest lecturer was read, he was invited to join the procession that accompanied Archbishop Ugochi and Revd. Sister Prof. Evangeline Oparaocha, to the pavilion from which she delivered the Odenigbo Lecture.
“Malam Nasir El-Rufai left the event as the lecture was still being delivered, after respectfully notifying the Archbishop of his departure. His exit from the Odenigbo grounds was also without incident.
“As the facts set out above show, there was no booing episode against either Peter Obi or Malam Nasir El-Rufai at the event, at which venue Malam El-Rufai entered and left without any issue or drama. No audiovisual evidence of any booing episode has emerged because it did not happen.”
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