Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has refuted media report laiming he had formed a new political party to contest the 2019 Presidential election.
The All Progressive Congress (APC) chieftain, who was alarmed by the media report he ascribed to be the handiwork of his political opponents, also described as ‘senseless’ a part in the report that he had chosen Ondo State governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko as his running mate.
Reacting through a statement signed his Media Adviser, Mazi Paul Ibe, Atiku said the report, which bears all features of a political hatchet job, was a calculative attempt to pitch him against President Muhammadu Buhari at an end and the entire APC leadership at the other end.
He explained that ordinarily, he would have ignored the malicious report, but chose to react, lest his silence would be mistaken as an admission of the falsehoods published against him.
He insisted that the report, which failed to validate its authenticity by quoting reliable and verifiable sources, should not be taken serious, adding that it was an incomplete product of fiction, so shallow and vacuous.
Atiku alerted Nigerians and his party (APC) leadership that “some people of bad faith trying tooth and nail to spread the seeds of discord in the party, and destroy the much needed unity, harmony and cohesion, which are the pillars of strength for every political organisation.”
He added that he remained unwavering in his loyalty to President Buhari and the APC leadership, not minding the smear campaigns and reputation lynching and sponsored falsehood targeted at him.