The Media Organization of Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria, has stated that Mr Abubakar has never met Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State, and debunked claims that Sanwo-Olu donated funds purportedly belonging to the Lagos State Government to his election campaign.
According to a report by Peoples Gazette, the relationship between Lagos State Governor and President Bola Tinubu has soured due to allegations of betrayal following the discovery by an anti-graft agency that funds from Sanwo-Olu’s ally, Aisha Achimugu, somehow reached Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, the leaders of Nigeria’s two main opposition parties.
In a statement released on Thursday and signed by Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to Mr Abubakar, it was labelled a “political hatchet job” aimed at justifying the dismissal of Governor Sanwo-Olu, who seems to have fallen out favourer with the “Bourdillon Cult.”
The press release, titled “Halt Bola Tinubu’s Voyage of Misadventure and Campaign of Calumny Against Atiku,” challenged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to make its findings public. It warned that the campaign against Mr Abubakar must stop.
The statement reads: “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.
Let it be known that this is a blatant lie from the pit of hell, a contrived political hogwash, and a futile campaign of calumny aimed at advancing the political interests of President Bola A. Tinubu.
It may interest Nigerians to note that the Waziri of Adamawa does not know Gov. Sanwo-Olu and, indeed, has never met him before.
This piece of kindergarten propaganda is beneath the camp of Tinubu. How is it possible for an Atiku who does not know and has 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.”
Indeed, their strategy is two-fold: get rid of Sanwo-Olu and discredit the coalition being put together by the opposition political leaders, of which Atiku Abubakar is a key stakeholder.
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.
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.
Signed:
Paul Ibe
Atiku Media Office
Abuja
27 March, 2025.
