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By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Atiku Media Office (AMO) has accused the Presidency of orchestrating a smear campaign against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar it what it described as “high-level propaganda and disinformation.”
In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, Media Adviser to Atiku, Mr Paul Ibe said the government had resorted to using faceless individuals to fabricate stories and circulate fake press releases in the name of the opposition leader.
“We have observed with concern a certain self-styled ‘media consultant,’ one Kola Johnson, issuing press releases in the name of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar,” Ibe said. “Our findings point directly to the Presidency, which in its desperation to smear opposition leaders, has resorted to hiring faceless mercenaries to fabricate fake stories and circulate unauthorized statements on Atiku.”
The statement particularly denounced what it called “a false claim” suggesting that an Atiku administration would be dominated by a single ethnic group. “This disinformation is part of a calculated propaganda project designed to ridicule Atiku in the media,” Ibe noted.
The Media Office stressed that Atiku has never engaged the said Kola Johnson “as a media consultant, aide, or associate.” It warned that “any statement issued in that name is fake and should be disregarded.”
Ibe urged editors and news platforms that had published the fabricated stories to immediately retract them, while cautioning Nigerians to be alert to the tactics of the Tinubu administration. “We caution Nigerians, especially the media, to remain vigilant against the propaganda schemes of the Tinubu administration, which now include circulating fabricated statements through compromised journalists,” he said.
For clarity, the statement emphasized that only the Atiku Media Office is authorized to release information on behalf of the former Vice President, signed either by his Media Adviser or the Special Assistant on Public Communications.
“Editors and media gatekeepers are strongly advised to verify with the AMO before publication,” Ibe added.
The statement was signed by Paul Ibe on behalf of the Atiku Media Office.