Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the Presidency of sponsoring a disinformation campaign to smear his reputation and mislead the public.
In a statement on Thursday signed by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku alleged that the government had resorted to using “faceless mercenaries” to fabricate stories and circulate false press statements in his name.
“Our 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,” the statement read.
He particularly faulted a false claim suggesting that an Atiku-led administration would be dominated by one ethnic group, describing it as part of a wider propaganda project designed to discredit him in the media.
The statement also clarified that Atiku had no association with the alleged media consultant, Kola Johnson, insisting that any statement issued in that name was fake. It urged media houses that published such reports to retract them immediately.
Atiku further accused the Tinubu administration of compromising journalists to spread propaganda and called on Nigerians and the media to remain vigilant against “fabricated statements” circulated through such channels.
Reiterating how authentic information from him is released, Atiku stressed that all official communications come only from the Atiku Media Office, signed either by Paul Ibe, his Media Adviser, or AbdulRasheed Shehu, Special Assistant on Public Communications.
“Editors and media gatekeepers are strongly advised to verify with the AMO before publication,” the statement concluded.
