Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed as a ‘blatant lie from the pit of hell’ the allegations linking him to purported financial dealings involving Lagos State funds.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku refuted reports suggesting that Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, through Ms Aisha Achimugu, provided funds to him during the 2023 presidential election.
Describing the claim as ‘contrived political hogwash’ and a ‘futile campaign of calumny’, he noted that the accusation was an attempt to serve the political interests of President Bola Tinubu.
Atiku stressed that he has no relationship with Sanwo-Olu and has never met him.
He question the logic behind such an alleged transaction—especially given that he and Tinubu were direct political opponents in the 2023 presidential election.
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He further suggested that the allegation was part of a two-pronged political strategy: to justify Sanwo-Olu’s diminishing influence within Tinubu’s camp and to undermine the emerging coalition of opposition leaders, in which he plays a key role.
The statement read: “We at Atiku Media Office have taken note of reports in a section of the media that the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, through Ms Aisha Achimugu,, made available to His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, Vice President of Nigeria, 1999-2007 money purportedly belonging to Lagos State. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is also credited with investigating the matter.
“This piece of kindergarten propaganda is beneath the camp of Tinubu. How is it possible for an Atiku that does not know and had no connection with Sanwo-Olu to be having a transaction with him involving the exchange of money – let alone during the Presidential election of 2023 in which his boss was a contestant? To what end would that be?
“We wish to, therefore, state emphatically and for the record that it is a political hatchet job aimed at providing a much-needed justification to jettison Governor Sanwo-Olu, who appears to have fallen out of favour with the “Bourdillon Cult.”
“To even underscore how poor the propaganda is, an unnamed Sanwo-Olu’s aide is quoted in the news story trashing his principal and adding fuel to the fire. Pray, who does that?
“Since the EFCC has been dragged into the arena of politics and propaganda, we challenge the anti-corruption agency to make public the outcome of its alleged investigation.
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“It is not just the President that is entitled to that information but the generality of the Nigerian public, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Presidential flag bearer in the 2023 election, Peter Obi.
“This voyage of misadventure and campaign of calumny against the person and reputation of Atiku Abubakar must be halted immediately and with alacrity, too.”
