The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has denied hiring a United States lobbyist firm
to advance in his bid to take over power from President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Atiku, a former
vice-president, said the reports of the alleged contract is a handiwork of the
All Progressives Congress (APC).
Atiku is at the presidential election tribunal to challenge
the declaration of Buhari as winner by the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC).
According to a report by Centre for Responsive Politics
(CRP), Bruce Fein, former justice department official and his firm Fein &
DelValle PLLC registered as foreign agents of PDP and Atiku on March 24.
The report said the firm is expected to “encourage Congress
and the executive to forbear from a final declaration and recognition of
Nigeria’s February 23, 209 presidential election until outstanding legal
challenges to the initial government of Nigeria assertion that incumbent
President Muhammadu Buhari was the victor are impartially and independently
resolved by the supreme court of Nigeria without political or military
influence, intimidation or manipulation.”
But in the statement issued on his behalf by Paul Ibe, his
spokesman, Atiku dismissed the report as “total fabrication” by the APC, adding
that it “didn’t come as a surprise to us because lying has become their only
bragging rights of competence.”
According to the statement, “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,” the statement read.
“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.”
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