Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has alleged that the Presidency is behind a scheme to damage his reputation by sponsoring fake press statements in his name.
In a statement released on Thursday, September 25, by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku distanced himself from a man identified as Kola Johnson, who has been circulating unauthorised press releases claiming to represent him.
“We have observed with concern a certain self-styled ‘media consultant,’ one Kola Johnson, issuing press releases in the name of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar,” the statement read.
According to Ibe, their findings “point directly to the Presidency, which in its desperation to smear opposition leaders, has resorted to hiring faceless mercenaries to fabricate fake stories and circulate unauthorized statements on Atiku.”
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He described as “particularly offensive” a claim attributed to Johnson alleging that an Atiku-led government would favour one ethnic group. He said such propaganda was deliberately designed to ridicule the former vice president.
“Atiku Abubakar has never engaged one Kola Johnson as a media consultant, aide, or associate,” the statement clarified.
Ibe further called on media houses that published such reports to retract them immediately and urged Nigerians to be cautious of political disinformation.
He added, “For the record, authentic information from Atiku Abubakar is only released through the Atiku Media Office, signed by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, or the Special Assistant on Public Communications. Editors and media gatekeepers are strongly advised to verify with the AMO before publication.”