Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has denied reports that he plans to step down for another presidential aspirant before the 2027 election.
Atiku’s Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, issued a statement on Thursday saying the reports were a misrepresentation of Atiku’s recent interview with BBC Hausa.
“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 said.
He explained that Atiku only said young people and other aspirants are free to contest and that he would support whoever wins through a fair primary.
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“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,” Ibe added.
The statement also criticised how some media reports interpreted Atiku’s words.
“While interpretative journalism is a legitimate aspect of reporting, stretching interpretation to the point of mischief is unacceptable and must not be encouraged,” it said.
Atiku himself had earlier told BBC Hausa: “If I run for office, and a young man defeats me, I will accept that. The party we have joined now prioritises youth and women.”
He also said he would support and mentor such a candidate.
“For the record, therefore, the insinuations attributed to Waziri Adamawa from his BBC Hausa interview are inaccurate and do not reflect what he actually said,” Ibe stressed.