Morocco fires back: Nigeria lied, our king didn’t talk to Jonathan

The Moroccan authorities have
denounced as a lie, the claim by the
Federal Government that President
Goodluck Jonathan had a telephone
conversation with King Mohammed
VI.
The North African Kingdom also
recalled its ambassador to Nigeria
over what it described as the
“incredible twist” that Nigeria
introduced into the dispute.
Rabat said that it was stating in
the “clearest and strongest terms,”
that “there has never been a
telephone conversation” between
the two leaders.
In two separate statements issued
within 24 hours on Wednesday, it
accused the Goodluck Jonathan
administration of using the King
for electioneering.
The two statements were posted
on the kingdom’s official website,
Maroc.ma.
The first was titled, ‘Morocco
Denies False Allegations About
Alleged Phone Conversation
Between HM The King, and Nigerian
President’ while the second
statement, is titled ‘Morocco recalls
its ambassador in Abuja for
consultations.’
Last week, the Moroccan royal
palace said the king had declined a
request for a telephone
conversation with Jonathan.
But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in
Abuja on Monday denied the snub,
saying the two leaders had
spoken extensively. It also denied
that the Federal Government was
using Mohammed VI to woo
Muslim voters in Nigeria.
“This information is absolutely not
correct as the President did in fact
speak to the Moroccan monarch…
both leaders spoke extensively
over the phone on matters of
mutual interest and concern,” the
Foreign Affairs ministry had said.
The ministry added that it was
“preposterous to suggest that Mr.
President’s telephone call to the
Moroccan monarch was intended to
confer any electoral advantage.”
However, the North African country ,
in the statements denounced the
claim by Abuja as “unethical
practices.”
“The king has actually declined the
request of the Nigerian
government because it is part of
the internal electioneering,” it
added.
Before issuing this lengthy press
release, Rabat had issued a terse
statement to debunk the claim by
Abuja that the heads of state had a
telephone conversation.
The statement read, ”Morocco is
surprised at the incredible twist
given by Nigeria to an alleged
phone conversation that never
took place between HM King
Mohammed VI and Nigerian
President, the King’s Office said
Tuesday.
The King’s Office categorically
denies the false allegations made
by Nigerian authorities about an
alleged phone conversation
between the Sovereign and
Nigerian President.”
Nigeria, Algeria and South Africa
have long backed the move for
independence by the people of a
tract of the Sahara Desert led by
the Polisario Front.
The tract has been at the centre of a
long-running dispute between
Morocco and fighters of the
Polisario Front.
The territory is said to be rich in
phosphate and experts have also
said that it is rich in oil.
When contacted, the Director,
Public Affairs Communication
Division, MFA, Ahmedu Ogbole-Ode,
said the ministry has not received
an official communication from
Morocco on the withdrawal of its
envoy.
On the controversy over the
telephone conversation between
Jonathan and the Moroccan
monarch, the director said the
ministry would respond once it
gets a directive from “higher
authorities to do so.”
STATEMENT ONE
Morocco Denies False
Allegations About Alleged
Phone Conversation Between
HM The King, Nigerian President
Morocco is surprised at the
incredible twist given by Nigeria to
an alleged phone conversation that
never took place between HM King
Mohammed VI and Nigerian
President, the King’s Office said
Tuesday.
The King’s Office categorically
denies the false allegations made
by Nigerian authorities about an
alleged phone conversation
between the Sovereign and
Nigerian President, the King’s
Office said in a statement.
STATEMENT TWO
Contrary to the allegations made by
Nigerian authorities to the
ambassador of HM the King in Abuja
and local media, the Kingdom of
Morocco confirms, in the clearest
and strongest terms, that there has
never been a phone conversation
between HM King Mohammed VI
and the President of this country”,
the ministry pointed out in a
statement.
HM the King has actually declined
the request of the Nigerian
government because it is part of
the internal electioneering and this
country’s fundamentally hostile
positions with regard to the
territorial integrity of the
Kingdom,” the statement said.
The Kingdom of Morocco expresses
its astonishment and denunciation
to these unethical practices that
are contrary to the spirit of
responsibility that must prevail in
relations between States”, the
ministry added.
Accordingly, the Kingdom of
Morocco has decided the
immediate recall of the
ambassador of HM the King in Abuja
for consultation”, the statement
concluded.
Source: Maroc.ma