Atiku Abubakar, former Vice-President, has denied claims that he received campaign funds from Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos, for the 2023 election campaign.
Abubakar, who was the presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023, was reportedly accused of receiving funds from Sanwo-Olu through a proxy, alongside Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate.
In a statement released on Thursday, Abubakar’s media office refuted the allegations, emphasizing that the former Vice-President has never met Sanwo-Olu.
“Let it be known that this is a blatant lie from the pit of hell; a contrived political hogwash, and a futile campaign of calumny aimed at advancing the political interests of President Bola A. Tinubu,” the statement reads.
“It may interest Nigerians to note that the Waziri of Adamawa does not know Gov. Sanwo-Olu and indeed has never met him before.”
The media office further dismissed the claim as “kindergarten propaganda” and questioned the plausibility of the allegations, considering Atiku’s lack of connection with Sanwo-Olu.
“How is it possible for an Atiku who does not know and had no connection with Sanwo-Olu to be having a transaction with him involving the exchange of money — let alone during the presidential election of 2023 in which his boss was a contestant? To what end would that be?”
The statement also suggested that the claim was part of a larger political strategy to undermine Sanwo-Olu, who seems to have fallen out of favor with President Tinubu.
“Indeed, their strategy is two-fold: get rid of Sanwo-Olu and discredit the coalition being formed by opposition political leaders, of which Atiku Abubakar is a key stakeholder,” the media office added.
The office further criticized the report’s credibility, pointing to an unnamed Sanwo-Olu aide quoted in the article, calling it an unlikely scenario.
“This voyage of misadventure and campaign of calumny against the person and reputation of Atiku Abubakar must be halted immediately and with alacrity too.”
Abubakar’s media office also called for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is reportedly investigating the matter, to make its findings public.
