Following recent reports circulating across various news platforms and social media claiming that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar plans to withdraw from his presidential bid in favour of a younger candidate, Atiku has come out to debunk the rumour.
In a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku clarified that he was misquoted in his interview with BBC Hausa.
Ibe said; “After a thorough review of both the video and transcripts of the interview in the original Hausa and the English translation, it is evident that at no point did the former Vice President expressly state, suggest, or even imply that he intends to step down for anyone.”
“What Atiku Abubakar clearly and unambiguously said was that young people, as well as other prospective presidential aspirants, are free to enter the contest. He further stressed that if a young candidate were to emerge through a competitive primary, he would readily support such a candidate without any hesitation.”
“While interpretative journalism is a legitimate aspect of reporting, stretching interpretation to the point of mischief is unacceptable and must not be encouraged.”
“For the record, therefore, the insinuations attributed to Waziri Adamawa from his BBC Hausa interview are inaccurate and do not reflect what he actually said.”
