By Ihechi Enyinnaya
The media office of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed reports claiming he rejected calls to step down for a southern candidate at a purported political meeting, labeling the story a “malicious fabrication” and a diversionary ploy by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a press release titled “Delusion As Distraction,” issued on July 8, 2025, in Abuja, Atiku’s media team categorically denied the existence of such a meeting, describing the claim as “pure fiction cooked up in the propaganda kitchens of the Tinubu-led APC regime.”
“There was no such meeting. Atiku Abubakar was never in attendance,” the statement said. “It is not only false; it is laughably desperate.”
The media office further alleged that the story was a deliberate distraction intended to fracture the recently strengthened opposition coalition, which adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its political vehicle ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to the statement, “This is nothing but a diversionary tactic — an attempt by a faltering administration to sow discord within the opposition ranks and derail the momentum gained by the successful unveiling of the ADC.”
It added that no amount of propaganda or “faceless briefings” would break the unity of the coalition or slow its commitment to challenging the current administration.
“We want to remind the ruling party that Nigerians have accepted the ADC as the most viable opposition platform,” the media office declared. “The wholesome support the ADC continues to enjoy is a clear signal that the Tinubu government is living on borrowed time.”
Calling on the media and the public to disregard the reports, the Atiku Media Office insisted the alleged meeting and statement had “no attribution, no credibility, and no truth.”