The Atiku team on Monday dissociated the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, in the2023 general elections, from the video circulating on social media of a ‘sick’ Atiku. The team declared that the PDP Presidential candidate is in robust good health, dismissing the video as the handiwork of mischief makers.
The team noted that the said video portraying false information breaches official security of the PDP candidate, arguing that Atiku is not being shielded from public scrutiny but such should be based on verifiable facts.
It was pointed out that Atiku was in Osogbo, Osun State, last Thursday for the PDP mega rally for the governorship election held last Saturday won by the PDP candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke.
The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to a report and a video in a section of the media purporting to be of an “ailing” Atiku Abubakar being helped strapped to his car seatbelt by an aide.
“Nothing can be further from the truth. For the records, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is in robust good health.
“We would not ordinarily have responded to this mischief, but for the impression that it will create in the minds of Nigerians which is exactly the objective of the purveyors of this fake news.
“Recall that the former Vice President of Nigeria and Presidential candidate of the PDP was in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State on Thursday for the grand rally of the PDP ahead of the weekend’s election and victory of its governorship candidate, Sen. Ademola Adeleke.
“It is important to note that protective operations encompass all measures being put in place to ensure the extreme safety of a VIP both on foot movements, static, and motion.
“It is the responsibility of the head of Atiku Abubakar’s security to ensure his safety before the convoy commences any movement. Since VIP movement entails protective driving, securing a VIP before embarking on any type of journey be it short or long distance cannot be over-emphasized. The overriding consideration at all times is the safety of Atiku Abubakar.
“We wish to state that Atiku Abubakar is not averse to scrutiny because of the consequential nature of the 2023 elections. However, it is our position that such scrutiny must not be predicated on a slash and burn rogue journalism as is the case with this contrived report.”