Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed a rumoured meeting in which he was allegedly pushed to step aside in favour of a candidate of Southern background ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Atiku made the statement in response to questions from media and concerned Nigerians about a meeting in which he allegedly resisted requests to step down in favour of a southern presidential contender.
Atiku, who claimed he was obligated to correct the record, branded such a meeting as a “phantom” and accused President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressive Congress (APC) administration of fabricating the propaganda.
In a statement sent by his media team, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential nominee for 2023 stated, “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.”
The former vice president described the story as fake, ludicrous, and desperate, calling it a diversionary ploy by a “faltering administration to sow discord within the opposition ranks and derail the momentum gained by the successful unveiling of the ADC as the coalition’s political vehicle.”
The former vice president stated that no amount of misinformation, manufactured reports, or faceless briefings will shake the opposition coalition’s commitment.
“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.
“We call on Nigerians and the media to treat the so-called ‘statement’ with the contempt it deserves. It bears no attribution, no credibility, and no truth,” he said.
