Former Vice President dismisses report as fabricated propaganda, says no such meeting took place

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed as false and politically motivated the reports claiming he recently rejected calls to step down for a southern presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 elections.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Tuesday, the Atiku Media Office described the story as “delusional,” insisting that no such meeting took place and that Atiku was never in attendance. The statement said the entire narrative was a “malicious fabrication” aimed at creating confusion and division within the opposition.

“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 All Progressives Congress (APC) regime,” the statement read. “It is not only false; it is laughably desperate.”

The Atiku camp described the report as a diversionary tactic by the APC, accusing the ruling party of attempting to deflect public attention from what it called the “failings of the current administration.” It also linked the timing of the report to recent political developments within the opposition, particularly the unveiling of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the platform for a proposed coalition.

“This is a calculated move to derail the momentum gained from the successful unveiling of the ADC as the coalition’s political vehicle,” the statement added.

Atiku’s team maintains that he remains focused on supporting the realignment of opposition forces and is not distracted by what it calls the “false narratives and propaganda” of the ruling party.