The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the February 23, 2019 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has denied hiring lobbyists to make President Donald Trump’s inner circle and the US Congress to delay recognising Buhari as the winner.
The lobbyists, Bruce Fein, a former Justice Department official and his firm Fein & DelValle PLLC and W. Bruce DelValle, were said to have been hired by Atiku.
In the report which was published on opensecrets.org, the lobbyists were registered as foreign agents on Abubakar’s behalf, according to a report by the Centre for Responsive Politics, a research group that tracks money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy.
As part of their assignments, the reports said, they would make Atiku to be recognized as the true president of the country.
In a statement issued by his spokesman, Paul Ibe, however, Atiku debunked hiring lobbyists, describing it as the handiwork of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
He said since he had refused to yield to the pressure that he should not challenge the outcome of the presidential election in court, the APC, had been very uncomfortable.
He said instead of defending themselves in court, they had resorted to using fake news to do the battle against Atiku.
The statement reads: “Since Atiku resisted pressure not to go to court, the APC has been behaving like a cat on hot bricks because the outcome of the 2019 elections has exposed and shattered the facade of their dubious integrity.
“The APC are behaving nervously like a thief living under the fear of being exposed and shamed; they are now using fake news against Atiku instead of focusing on defending themselves in the court.
“For a party that has broken the worst record in election rigging, the APC doesn’t have any iota of integrity to be taken seriously by anybody.
“Atiku’s court case has become their biggest burden because it exposes their integrity as a sham, and instead of defending their stolen mandate in court, they are now using fake news to divert public attention from the historic electoral heist they have committed against Nigerians.
“No amount of diversionary propaganda and fake news campaign by APC will stop Atiku Abubakar from continuing the court action he started to reclaim the stolen mandate.”
