Atiku Abubakar, a former Nigerian vice president has denied promising to prioritize Yoruba ethnic group if elected president in 2027.
The denial came from the media office of former Vice President.
Recall that on Wednesday, several reports attributed the claim to a statement purportedly issued on Atiku’s behalf by one Kola Johnson, described in the individual as his “media consultant”.
However, in a statement on Thursday, Paul Ibe, media adviser to the former presidential candidate, said the former Vice President never engaged Johnson in any capacity, describing the report as false and misleading.
“Our findings point directly to the Presidency, which in its desperation to smear opposition leaders, has resorted to hiring faceless mercenaries to fabricate fake stories and circulate unauthorized statements on Atiku,” Ibe said.
He described as “particularly offensive” the suggestion that an Atiku administration would be dominated by one ethnic group, adding that such disinformation was part of a wider propaganda effort.
The media aide noted that any communication from Atiku can only be considered authentic if issued by the Atiku Media Office and signed either by him or the former vice-president’s special assistant on public communications.
He cautioned Nigerians and the media to remain alert against propaganda, accusing the administration of President Bola Tinubu of sponsoring “fabricated statements” to ridicule opposition figures.