The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has denied involvement in the process of electing the governorship candidate of the party in the coming Kogi State governorship election.
He said reports linking him to the party primary were false and that he had not anointed any of the contestants.
Atiku made the denial on Tuesday in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Mr. Paul Ibe.
The statement reads in part: “The attention of the former Vice President of Nigeria and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar has been drawn to several media reports insinuating his involvement in the democratic process of electing the gubernatorial flag bearer for the Peoples Democratic Party in the upcoming Kogi State governorship election.
“We wish to state categorically that such media reports are false and gross fabrication.
“Atiku is a consummate democrat and the hallmark of his political struggles has been for the enablement of internal democracy in party politics.
“It is therefore absurd to suggest that Atiku has a preferred candidate in the primary election to produce the governorship candidate of the PDP in the Kogi State election – or in any primary election, for that matter.
“For the avoidance of any doubts, Atiku Abubakar has no anointed candidate in the Kogi State primary election.”
Ibe said Atiku believed that the decision to elect the flag bearer of the PDP in the coming election in the Confluence State was the responsibility of electors in that primary election.
He said he therefore urged anyone amongst the candidates to desist from peddling influence with his name.
Atiku, he stated, believed that all the aspirants in the election were up to the task of flying the flag of “our great party, the PDP and the electors should be given the unfettered rights to perform their constituted duty of electing the best person for the PDP.”
