Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has categorically denied media reports alleging that he received campaign funds from Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for the 2023 presidential election.
The claims, which assert that Sanwo-Olu channeled money through Ms. Aisha Achimugu to Atiku, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, have been dismissed by his media team as baseless and politically motivated.
Atiku Abubakar, who served as Nigeria’s Vice President from 1999 to 2007, strongly refuted such reports suggesting a financial transaction with Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos State Governor under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The allegations claim that funds purportedly belonging to Lagos State were funneled to Atiku via Aisha Achimugu during the 2023 election campaign.
In response, Atiku’s media team issued a statement branding the reports as a “blatant lie from the pit of hell” and a “contrived political hogwash,” aimed at tarnishing his reputation.
The statement from Atiku’s media office emphasized that no personal or financial relationship exists between the former Vice President and the Lagos State Governor. “Atiku does not know Sanwo-Olu and has never met the Lagos governor before,” the team declared.
They argued that it defies reason for Atiku to receive funds from Sanwo-Olu, especially during the 2023 presidential race when Sanwo-Olu’s party leader, President Bola A. Tinubu, was also a contender. “How is it possible for an Atiku that has no connection with Sanwo-Olu to be having a transaction with him involving the exchange of money to what end would that be?” the statement questioned.
Political Motives Linked to Tinubu and Opposition Coalition
Atiku’s camp views the allegations as a calculated move to undermine Sanwo-Olu and disrupt a coalition of opposition leaders, including Atiku, ahead of future political battles.
His media team accused Tinubu’s allies, referring to them as the “Bourdillon Cult,” of orchestrating the claims to justify sidelining Sanwo-Olu, who may have lost favor within the APC hierarchy.
Atiku’s media team challenged the EFCC to investigate the matter. “Since the EFCC has been dragged into the arena of politics and propaganda, we challenge the agency to make public the outcome of its alleged investigation.”
They stressed that transparency is not just a privilege for the President but a right for all Nigerians, including Atiku and Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, whose name was invoked to underscore the public interest in the matter.
Atiku’s media team called for an immediate halt to what they described as a “voyage of misadventure and campaign of calumny” against the former Vice President’s reputation. “This futile campaign must be halted immediately and with alacrity,” they insisted, urging an end to the spread of what they deem disinformation designed to serve Tinubu’s political interests.
