Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former vice-president, has refuted reports suggesting that he vowed to prioritise Yoruba interests if he contests 2027 presidential election.
Gatekeepers News reports that the reports, which circulated online on Wednesday, attributed the claim to a statement allegedly issued on Atiku’s behalf by Kola Johnson, his alleged media consultant.
However, in a statement on Thursday, Paul Ibe, media adviser to the former presidential candidate, said Atiku never engaged Johnson in any role, stressing that the publication was false and misleading.
Ibe added, “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.”
He described as particularly offensive, the suggestion that an Atiku administration would be dominated by one ethnic group, noting that such disinformation was part of a broader propaganda effort.
The aide further clarified that authentic communications from Atiku are only those issued by the Atiku Media Office and signed either by him or his special assistant on public communications.
Ibe said, “Atiku Abubakar has never engaged one Kola Johnson as a media consultant, aide, or associate. Any statement issued in that name is fake and should be disregarded. We urge media houses that have published such falsehoods to immediately retract them.”
He also urged Nigerians and the media to remain vigilant against propaganda, accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of sponsoring fabricated statements to ridicule opposition figures.
