Abubakar, has denied hiring a US lobbyist firm to advance in his bid to
take over power from President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement on Wednesday, Atiku, a former vice-president, said the
reports of the alleged contract is a handiwork of the All Progressives
Congress (APC).
Atiku is at the presidential election tribunal to challenge the
declaration of Buhari as winner by the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC).
According to a report by Centre for Responsive Politics (CRP), Bruce Fein,
former justice department official and his firm Fein & DelValle PLLC
registered as foreign agents of PDP and Atiku on March 24.
The report said the firm is expected to “encourage Congress and the
executive to forbear from a final declaration and recognition of Nigeria’s
February 23, 209 presidential election until outstanding legal challenges
to the initial government of Nigeria assertion that incumbent President
Muhammadu Buhari was the victor are impartially and independently resolved
by the supreme court of Nigeria without political or military influence,
intimidation or manipulation.”
But in the statement issued on his behalf by Paul Ibe, his spokesman,
Atiku dismissed the report as “total fabrication” by the APC, adding that
it “didn’t come as a surprise to us because lying has become their only
bragging rights of competence.”
The statement added that “since Atiku resisted pressure not to go to
court, the APC has been behaving like a cat on hot bricks because the
outcome of the 2019 elections has exposed and shattered the facade of
their dubious integrity.”
“The APC are behaving nervously like a thief living under the fear of
being exposed and shamed; they are now using fake news against Atiku
instead of focusing on defending themselves in the court,” the statement
read.
“For a party that has broken the worst record in election rigging, the APC
doesn’t have any iota of integrity to be taken seriously by anybody.
“Atiku’s court case has become their biggest burden because it exposes
their integrity as a sham, and instead of defending their stolen mandate
in court, they are now using fake news to divert public attention from the
historic electoral heist they have committed against Nigerians.
“No amount of diversionary propaganda and fake news campaign by APC will
stop Atiku Abubakar from continuing the court action he started to reclaim
the stolen mandate.”