Paul Ibe, the Media Adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has clarified reports that his principal will shelve his 2027 presidential ambition if his party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), can present a younger, vibrant and acceptable candidate as the presidential candidate.
Atiku who made the promise in an interview with the BBC Hausa service on Wednesday as Nigeria celebrated its 65th independence anniversary, had reportedly said though he is in the race for the next presidential election, he would step down and support a much younger candidate.
But Ibe, in a statement on his X handle on Friday, dismissed the report, saying Atiku was misquoted probably because the interview was done in Hausa and the interpretation was taken out of context.
“It has become necessary to clarify certain misrepresentations arising from the reportage of an interview granted by His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, to the BBC Hausa Service by some sections of the media,” Ibe said in the statement.
Atiku who made the promise in an interview with the BBC Hausa service on Wednesday as Nigeria celebrated its 65th independence anniversary, had reportedly said though he is in the race for the next presidential election, he would step down and support a much younger candidate.
But Ibe, in a statement on his X handle on Friday, dismissed the report, saying Atiku was misquoted probably because the interview was done in Hausa and the interpretation was taken out of context.
“It has become necessary to clarify certain misrepresentations arising from the reportage of an interview granted by His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, to the BBC Hausa Service by some sections of the media,” Ibe said in the statement
“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 records, therefore, the insinuations attributed to the Waziri Adamawa from his BBC Hausa interview are inaccurate and do not reflect what he actually said,” Ibe added.
