Responding to the accusation of having an anointed aspirant for the Kogi People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary election, the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar has denied any involvement.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the former Vice-President made this known in a statement on Tuesday by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe.
In the statement, Atiku dismissed media reports about his alleged involvement in the process of electing the gubernatorial flag-bearer of the PDP in the upcoming Kogi State governorship election. He described it as “false and gross fabrication.”
The statement reads: “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.
“He believes that the decision to elect the flag bearer of the PDP in the coming election in the Confluence State is the responsibility of electors in that primary election.
“He therefore urges anyone amongst the candidates to desist from peddling influence with his name and, indeed, calls on the media not to lay prostrate to any blackmail against him.
“Atiku believes that all the aspirants in the election are 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.”