Former Vice President of Nigeria and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Atiku Abubakar has refuted any claims of congratulating President Bola Tinubu following his victory at the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC). He asserted that he refuses to endorse what he characterizes as “electoral banditry.”

Atiku clarified that he had not issued any official statement extending congratulations to Tinubu, who represented the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25 election, following the Tribunal’s affirmation of his electoral win on Wednesday.

Mr. Paul Ibe, the Media Adviser to the former Vice President, labeled the purported congratulatory message as fake news generated by individuals desperately seeking validation for appropriating the will of the Nigerian people.

Ibe explained that Atiku would not support electoral malpractice, as doing so would be a betrayal of the Nigerian citizens who have worked tirelessly for years to establish electoral integrity.

“If conscience is clear and they are convinced that their victory is valid, they don’t have to blackmail their political opponents into congratulating them through fake news.

“Why should a man be desperate for validation? Does truth require validation? Why should you issue a congratulatory statement and attribute it to Atiku if your conscience is not troubled by the electoral heist you have perpetrated,” he queried.

He continued by saying that, in contrast to the false information purportedly spread by Tinubu propagandists, Atiku had already instructed his attorneys to go before the Supreme Court to contest the election petition tribunal’s ruling. 

“To confirm that the purported message is fake and pedestrian, it was addressed to the “President-elect.” Though we know it is a pyrrhic victory, is it not ridiculous to still address Bola Tinubu as “President-elect” five months after swearing-in?

“This struggle is not about Atiku; it’s about Nigeria and the future of our democracy. By allowing election riggers to get away with their misdeeds, our democracy will be in greater jeopardy. Consent is essential to democratic mandate; ruling people against their will undermines everything democracy stands for,” he stated.

He further clarified that the PDP presidential candidate would not be retiring but rather would remain active in the fight to strengthen democracy in the nation.

“The Waziri has nothing personal against President Tinubu. He owes him no ill will. Let me, however, make it very clear that this struggle is about principle and justice. He is not in this struggle because he hates Tinubu. He is in it to ensure that people who rigged elections are not allowed to get away with it. Injustice and rigging promote bitterness and division. No leader should be proud to lead angry and aggrieved citizens,” Ibe stressed.