Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised alarm over what he described as a coordinated attempt by anti-democratic forces to spread falsehoods and undermine the rising momentum of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a statement shared on Monday via X by his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku firmly dismissed claims circulating on social media suggesting he had met with ADC stakeholders and decided to step away from active politics.
“We wish to state, for the record, that information circulating on social media about a purported meeting… in which the former Vice President allegedly decided to ‘step aside and retire from active politics,’ is entirely false and deliberately misleading,” the statement read.
The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party clarified that he had not held any recent meeting with ADC stakeholders at the national level.
According to the statement, his only recent engagement with the party was a meeting with stakeholders in Adamawa State last Thursday.
Atiku, who holds the traditional title of Waziri of Adamawa, stressed that any decision as significant as exiting active politics would be formally communicated through official channels.
“An issue as fundamental and consequential as exiting active politics cannot, and would never, be communicated through rumours, faceless sources, or third-party fabrication,” he stated.
He further described the reports as part of a deliberate disinformation campaign aimed at confusing the public and weakening political opposition.
“This latest falsehood bears all the hallmarks of a coordinated disinformation campaign designed to create confusion, dampen momentum, and mislead the Nigerian public,” he added.
Atiku also alleged that those behind the narrative are unsettled by the current political direction and growing calls for change, suggesting that “only the government and its agents” could be responsible for promoting such claims.
He urged his supporters, ADC members, and Nigerians at large to disregard the rumours and remain focused on broader efforts to rebuild the nation.
“We therefore urge supporters… to disregard this fake news in its entirety and remain focused on the collective effort to reclaim and rebuild our nation,” the statement concluded.
