by Stanley Azuakola Same event; same characters; two media houses; different, opposing narratives… who is lying?

Depending on the daily you read this morning, your understanding of what happened at yesterday’s meeting of the Northern Governors Forum held in Kaduna might be different from that of your next door neighbour. That’s because both the Thisday and The Punch newspapers which reported the event, carried shockingly different  narratives of what actually transpired.

“ACF, Northern Governors warn against Incitement,” was the Thisday headline in the report by John Shiklam and Onyebuchi Ezigbo.

According to the report, “The statement credited to General Muhammadu Buhari that there would be bloodshed if the 2015 elections are rigged is drawing condemnation from key Northern voices… Although it did not mention Buhari by name, the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) also Thursday warned ‘prominent Nigerians’ against statements that are capable of inflicting injury on the nation.”

No mention was made by Thisday of any nice words from the governors to the retired general and perennial presidential candidate.

Now contrast the Thisday report with the very different account by The Punch in its own report titled: Shocker for Jonathan: Northern govs defend Buhari.

“The 19 northern governors on Thursday rose in defence of the Presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari,” said The Punch in the report written by David Attah and Uzoma Ubabukoh. “The northern governors on Thursday said Buhari’s comment was in order, observing that many eminent Nigerians had made worse comments.”

Unlike Thisday, no mention was made by The Punch of a warning—whether real or implied—by the governors for Buhari.

The Punch’s report was all the more shocking because most of the 19 Northern governors are of the PDP, which has been locked in a fierce political battle with Buhari’s CPC for the soul of the North. If their report is to be believed, then the position of the governors must be a punch (no pun intended) to President Jonathan.

No need to mince words – what’s for sure is that at least one of either Thisday or The Punch did not report the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help them God.

So we turn to the Bible to steal a question: Whose report will you believe?