Nigeria blasts foreign media assessment on incumbent president

The Nigerian Presidency on Saturday condemned an international magazine's assessment of President Goodluck Jonathan's administration, describing it as baseless, jaundiced and malicious vilification of the president.

"The Economist" magazine was quoted to have endorsed the presidential candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari in the Feb. 14 general elections.

The president's spokesperson Reuben Abati said contrary to the Economist's assertions, Nigeria, under Jonathan had made very considerable progress.

The presidency said with surprise, the magazine's "tongue-in- cheek endorsement of General Muhammadu Buhari in the run-up to Nigeria's general elections" and its baseless, jaundiced and rather malicious vilification of Jonathan.

According to the spokesperson, the president retains the trust and confidence of majority of Nigerians as the outcome of the presidential elections will undoubtedly show.

It said that the magazine's Nigerian and other readers would be shocked that it had taken the "very ill-considered decision to throw its weight behind a candidate who, as a former military dictator, curtailed freedom of speech".

According to it, Nigerians know that President Jonathan has developed the economy and created more jobs.

The Nigerian electoral commission has fixed Feb. 14 and Feb. 28 for the presidential and federal lawmakers' election, as well as the governorship and state legislators' election respectively. Endi