Dare Babalola
The media office of Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has denied claims that he rejected calls to step down for a southern candidate.
Earlier, it was reported that the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a closed-door meeting with leaders of the coalition group under the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), declared that he would not bow to pressure, and called on the coalition to uphold democracy by allowing open and transparent primaries.
However, a statement signed by Atiku’s media team, described the report as false, misleading and the handiwork of the people loyal to President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) government.
The media team wrote, “In response to recent inquiries from journalists and concerned Nigerians regarding a phantom meeting where His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, was said to have ‘rejected calls to step down for a southern candidate,’ we are compelled to set the record straight in the strongest possible terms:
“There was no such meeting. Atiku Abubakar was never in attendance. The entire story is a malicious fabrication — pure fiction cooked up in the propaganda kitchens of the Tinubu-led APC regime.
“It is not only false; it is laughably desperate.”
Furthermore, the statement noted that the Tinubu-led administration sees the new coalition as a threat and will stop at nothing to attempt to sow discord within the opposition ranks.
Atiku, however, assured that, “No amount of propaganda, planted stories, or faceless briefings will fracture the resolve of the opposition coalition. We are united, focused, and determined to rescue Nigeria from the clutches of this rudderless government.
“We want to remind the ruling party that Nigerians have already embraced the ADC as the most credible and viable opposition platform ahead of 2027. The massive and growing support that the ADC continues to enjoy across the country is not just encouraging – it is a clear signal that the Tinubu administration is living on borrowed time.”
In addition, the statement urged Nigerians and the media to disregard the claim and treat it as false.
