“Reuben Abati’s statement, typical of his increasingly desperate personality, has exposed him as a fraud of a presidential spokesman who does not have the simplest level of media literacy,” the statement from Mr. Ribadu’s office said of Mr. Abati on Monday.
Ribadu, who until a few months ago was an appointee of the Jonathan Administration as chairman of a panel constituted to review the irregularities in the petroleum sector, denied the charge by the president’s office that he was an ingrate, saying instead that it was the Jonathan Administration who showed ingratitude towards him.
“It is a huge gaffe for Abati to charge Ribadu of ingratitude as the latter has more valid stand to make similar accusation having been betrayed after his selfless service to the nation in the Petroleum Revenue Task Force committee,” the statement read.
Targeting Abati further, Ribadu said it is “a sad commentary on the type of people we have in the helms of our affairs: even with the resources at his disposal, Abati could not conduct a little research to save himself from embarrassment before he set out barking.”
Abati had released a statement earlier on Monday accusing Ribadu of selfishness and hypocrisy in a bid by Ribadu to remain relevant in the political affairs of Nigeria.
The charge came two days after Mr. Ribadu delivered a speech at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Kaduna State, where he had made the case that the government of President Goodluck Jonathan is becoming increasingly tyrannical in style.
Ribadu’s remarks apparently irritated the presidency in Abuja, prompting Mr. Abati’s furious statement about Mr. Ribadu on behalf of President Jonathan and his office as president and commander-in-chief of the federal republic, describing Ribadu as “ethically challenged”.
In his response, Ribadu said that the question of who is ethically challenged is left for Nigerians to answer.”