The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has denied media reports alleging that he endorsed Dino Melaye as the party’s governorship candidate ahead of the November 11 governorship election.
In a statement signed by his spokesperson on Tuesday, Paul Ibe, Mr Abubakar denied having anointed a candidate of the party primaries.
He said, as a consummate democrat, the hallmark of his political struggles has been the enablement of internal democracy in party politics.
According to several media outlets, some elders of the Kogi State chapter of the PDP led by one Ibrahim Dansofo had asked the former Vice President to immediately retract his alleged endorsement and allow the original delegate list from the 21 local government areas to scale through.
Responding, Mr Ibe said, “The attention of the former Vice President of Nigeria and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, has been drawn to several media reports insinuating his involvement in the democratic process of electing the gubernatorial flag bearer for the Peoples Democratic Party in the upcoming Kogi State governorship election.
“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.”
