Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has denied claims that he received financial support from Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, during the 2023 presidential election. Atiku described the allegations as false and politically motivated.
In a statement released on Thursday by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, the Atiku Media Office rejected reports suggesting that Sanwo-Olu provided funds to Atiku’s campaign. The statement, titled “Halt This Tinubu’s Voyage of Misadventure and Campaign of Calumny Against Atiku Abubakar,” dismissed the claims as “blatant lies” and “contrived political propaganda.”
“The Waziri of Adamawa does not know Governor Sanwo-Olu and has never met him before. The idea that Atiku, who has no connection with Sanwo-Olu, would be involved in a financial transaction with him during the 2023 election is baseless and illogical,” the statement read.
Atiku’s team believes that the allegations are part of a broader strategy to discredit opposition leaders, including Atiku himself. They also suggested that the reports were meant to damage Governor Sanwo-Olu’s reputation by linking him to unverified financial dealings.
The controversy has also drawn the attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which has been linked to an investigation into the matter. Atiku’s camp has challenged the anti-graft agency to make its findings public to clear any doubts.
“Since the EFCC has been drawn into this controversy, we challenge the agency to disclose the outcome of its alleged investigation. The Nigerian public, including Atiku and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, deserve transparency,” the statement added.
Furthermore, Atiku’s media team called on President Bola Tinubu’s camp to halt what they described as a smear campaign. They insisted that such tactics would not weaken the opposition’s political plans.
