Paul Ibe, the media adviser to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, has denied reports linking him to the endorsement of a candidate for the Kogi State governorship election scheduled for November 11. He described the reports as “false and gross fabrication,” emphasizing that the selection of a standard‑bearer must be decided by the people, not by any individual, regardless of how powerful that person may be.
In a signed statement, Ibe said Atiku urges all aspirants to present themselves before the electors who will choose the PDP’s standard‑bearer in the state. The statement read: “The attention of the former vice president of Nigeria and PDP presidential candidate 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 PDP 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 the enablement of internal democracy in party politics.”
He added that it is “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 doubt, Ibe affirmed that Atiku has no anointed candidate in the Kogi State primary and believes the decision rests with the electors in that primary.
Ibe warned aspirants to “desist from peddling influence with his name” and urged the media not to “lay prostrate to any blackmail against him.” He concluded by stating that the former vice president believes all aspirants are capable of carrying the PDP’s standard and that electors should be given unfettered rights to perform their duty of selecting the best person for the party.
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