The Ogun State Government has denied claims that Governor Dapo Abiodun abused Nigerians, calling them sore losers over the ongoing nationwide protest to end bad governance in the country, News About Nigeria reports.
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Governor, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.
He stated that the governor was not referring to the protesters but rather was talking about certain losers of the 2023 elections who were cashing in on the dissent of Nigerian youths to destabilise the country.
He maintained that the chaos that has ensued from the protests across the country has solidified the position of the governor, adding that nowhere in the referenced interview with Channels TV did the governor suggest, even remotely, that ordinary Nigerians ventilating their grievances over the economic situation in the country are sore losers.
“The claim that Governor Abiodun insulted ordinary Nigerians is spurious, malicious, and lacks any rational basis.
“Elementary rules of language indicate that the meaning of an expression resides in its context. Governor Abiodun could not have been referring to ordinary Nigerians as the sponsors of a faceless and leaderless protest.
“While Governor Abiodun did indeed mention sore losers, he was clearly emphasising irredentist opposition leaders who do not wish this administration well, urging them to prepare for the 2027 polls instead of mindlessly discrediting every government policy just to excite passions and incite people against the government.
“To stretch his use of the word ‘Nigerians’ beyond its intended referents in this context is, therefore, to engage in intellectual fraud and plain mischief.
“Governor Abiodun has the utmost respect for the protesters, and he has made that clear on many occasions,” he stated.
