An aide to President Goodluck Jonathan said on Friday that his boss was not afraid to visit some parts of the country as is being speculated in some quarters.
Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Ahmed Gulak stated this in an exclusive interview where he was reacting to Thursday’s visit to Maiduguri by the governors of the newly-formed All Progressives’ Congress, which led to talk of leaders being bold enough to visit any part of the country.
Borno State has been the epicentre of Boko Haram terrorist activity which has claimed thousands of lives since 2009. However, President Jonathan has not visited there since he was elected into office in 2011, even though Vice-President Namadi Sambo was recently there.
The governors said their choice of Maiduguri as a meeting venue was informed by the need to prove the point that there should not be any no-go area for any Nigerian leader.
But Gulak told this correspondent that President Jonathan was not afraid of visiting any part of the country and he would prove it by visiting Maiduguri on Thursday.
He said, “Who is afraid to visit Borno State? The President will be on a state visit to Borno State next week, March 7 to be precise.
“The governors are just trying to pre-empt the President. Goodluck Jonathan is not afraid of visiting any part of the country. He is the President of all states and all parts of the country without exception.”