The presidency faults the claim by a former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, that Nigeria was one of the few African nations that joined the US-led coalition during Operation Desert Storm between 1990-1991 when the United States championed the liberation of Kuwait.
Atiku made the claim in a thread of tweets when he expressed his reservations over the recent travel ban on Nigeria by the government of the United States.
But soon after he made the claim, the presidency corrected the narrative by pointing out that Nigeria did not participate in Operation Desert Storm.
The presidency went further by stating that the sentiments being expressed by Atiku did not represent reality, noting that Nigeria continues to enjoy productive relations with the US.
“It is necessary to correct the misinformation being peddled in this thread. Nigeria did not participate in Operation Desert Storm,” the presidency stated.
“We will reiterate that these sentiments being expressed do not represent reality; & that Nigeria continues to enjoy productive relations with the US”
Meanwhile, the presidency has reacted to the travel ban on Nigeria which was announced by President Donald Trump-led administration. A statement on the official Twitter handle of the Nigerian presidency said a committee has been established by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The committee will be chaired by the minister of interior, Rauf Aregbesola. It is to study the updated requirements of the United States in relation to the assessment of compliance with certain security criteria by foreign governments.
The presidency announced that the committee will be working with the United States government, Interpol and other stakeholders to ensure the proper implementation of all the updates.
According to the presidency, Nigeria is committed to maintaining productive relations with the US and other international allies especially on issues of global security.