Atiku Retired from Politics, Congratulated President-elect Bola Tinubu? Fact Emerges
- There is a false claim circulating online that Atiku, the PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has retired from politics and congratulated President-elect Tinubu
- However, Atiku's spokesperson, Paul Ibe, has debunked the claim and provided a press release signed by Atiku refuting it
- Atiku stated that the press release did not come from him or his office and should be treated as false and contrived
There is a circulating claim online that Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria's 2023 general election, has retired from politics and promised to support the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
This claim, allegedly circulated as a press release from Atiku, has been shared in closed WhatsApp groups.
Source: Getty Images
It was also claimed that Atiku congratulated the president-elect and advised him to lead with the fear of Allah.
Did Atiku truly retire from politics and congratulate Bola Tinubu?
However, Atiku's spokesperson, Paul Ibe, has debunked the claim as false and a contrived statement, according to FactCheckHub.
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Ibe provided a copy of the press release signed by Atiku, which refutes the claim.
Atiku stated that the so-called press release did not come from him or his office and should be treated as repudiation, untrue, and deliberately contrived by those who illegally appropriated the mandate of the Nigerian people.
He, in a press release signed by him, said his lawyers still have his mandate to challenge the outcome of the presidential election.
The press release reads in part:
"I have been notified of a fake press release attributed to me and purportedly giving legitimacy to the widely rigged presidential election of February 25.
"The so-called press release did not emanate from me or my office, and it should be treated with repudiation, untrue, and deliberately contrived by those who illegally appropriated the mandate of the Nigerian people.
"For the avoidance of any doubt, I wish to state categorically that my lawyers still have my unflinching mandate to challenge the outcome of the February 25 presidential election."
Further checks on Atiku's Instagram and Twitter pages show that he did not make any posts about retiring from politics or congratulating Bola Tinubu.
Therefore, the claim that Atiku Abubakar has retired from politics and congratulated Bola Tinubu is false, as confirmed by Atiku himself through a press statement.
The Natives sends important message to Peter Obi, Atiku over Tinubu
In another report, a pro-Nigeria and anti-sabotage group on the platform of The Natives asked presidential candidates of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, not to abandon the country but join hands with Tinubu to rebuild Nigeria.
The Natives asked the duo to emulate President Muhammadu Buhari, who, after losing presidential elections thrice, allowed Court processes and stayed back in Nigeria to contribute to democratic growth.
Addressing a press conference attended by Legit.ng on Wednesday in Abuja, the supreme leader of the Natives, Hon. Smart Edwards, specifically thanked the military, Police and the Directorate of State Security Service (DSS) for exposing the plot by some opposition elements for an interim national government.
Source: Legit.ng
