Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has denied agreeing to step down for anyone ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Atiku’s spokesman, Paul Ibe, said in a statement on Thursday that the interview the 2023 PDP presidential candidate granted in Hausa was misrepresented.
“It has become necessary to clarify certain misrepresentations arising from the reportage of an interview granted by His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, to the BBC Hausa Service by some sections of the media,” Ibe said in the statement he released on behalf of Atiku.
“After a thorough review of both the video and transcripts of the interview – in the original Hausa and the English translation – it is evident that at no point did the former Vice President expressly state, suggest, or even imply that he intends to step down for anyone.”
Ibe further stated that “What Atiku Abubakar clearly and unambiguously said was that young people, as well as other prospective presidential aspirants, are free to enter the contest.
“He further stressed that if a young candidate were to emerge through a competitive primary, he would readily support such a candidate without any hesitation.
“While interpretative journalism is a legitimate aspect of reporting, stretching interpretation to the point of mischief is unacceptable and must not be encouraged.
“For the records, therefore, the insinuations attributed to the Waziri Adamawa from his BBC Hausa interview are inaccurate and do not reflect what he actually said.”
Atiku is set to run on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which opposition heavyweights have chosen as their rallying point to take on the ruling APC.
In July, Atiku formerly resigned his membership of the PDP, citing irreconcilable differences.
He noted that he found it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the party has taken, which, according to him, diverges from the foundational principles it stood for.
Atiku was elected as the Vice President on the platform of the PDP, serving under ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007.
He has also been the PDP’s presidential candidate on two occasions, flying the party’s flag in the 2019 and 2023 elections. Atiku, however, did not succeed in the two outings for the party, losing to Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 and the incumbent President Bola Tinubu in 2023.
