Defense Minister Denies Labeling President-Elect, Tinubu A Drug Lord

Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi, has rejected claims that he called President-elect, Bola Tinubu a drug lord, labelling the accusation as false.

The retired General was quoted saying it would be an insult to have a known drug lord leading Nigeria’s military.

In a statement released on Saturday, Magashi’s spokesperson, Mohammad Abdulkadri, blamed anti-democratic forces for the false news.

Magashi accused unhappy individuals of trying to damage his reputation and that of Nigeria’s neutral military by attacking Tinubu.

He said in a statement released through his spokesperson Mohammad Abdulkadri, “The myopic, diabolic and despotic publication can be traced to anti-democratic forces”.

The Defense Minister pointed out that he was among the first Federal Executive Council members to congratulate the President-elect.

He also criticized the spread of fake news against him during a time when he is focused on overseeing the military’s efforts to protect Nigeria’s democracy.

The statement emphasized Magashi’s loyalty to the ruling party, APC, and his status as a respected elder statesman within the same party as Tinubu.

It concluded that no efforts to discredit Magashi or the military would prevent them from addressing any threats to the upcoming May 29 inauguration.