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By John Ogunsemore
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar to disown a statement issued by his aide.
The controversy stemmed from an account given by Fayose of a meeting Atiku held with Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde earlier in the week.
In an X post on Wednesday, the ex-Ekiti governor said Atiku was 70 percent certain of being the 2027 presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC) and was seeking to make Makinde his running mate.
He further claimed that Atiku’s camp believes Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, would neither accept to run as the ex-VP’s running mate nor be generally acceptable in the North as a potential successor.
He noted that Makinde agreed to join ADC on the condition that he would be handed the party’s Vice Presidential ticket, as Atiku’s running mate.
He alleged that Makinde offered to make available a sum of N10 billion (to be released in two tranches), as his initial contribution towards what he called “proper take-off of the ADC” and make additional funds available when campaign begins.
However, in a statement on Thursday, Atiku’s camp rejected Fayose’s take as “shameless concoction” and “beer parlour talk”.
The statement signed by Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku, Phrank Shaibu further called Fayose’s comment “reckless and malicious fabrication”.
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“Let it be stated clearly: the entire publication is a shameless concoction — a tissue of lies stitched together by a serial purveyor of political gossip whose relevance survives only on controversy, distortion, and cheap propaganda.
“At no time did former Vice President Atiku Abubakar engage in the imaginary horse-trading described in that laughable script.
“There were no negotiations over vice-presidential tickets. There were no discussions about ₦10 billion contributions. There were no zoning manipulations. There were no delegate-delivery guarantees. And there is certainly no clandestine ‘Dubai meeting’ on any such agenda,” the statement reads in part.
But in a counter-statement posted on X, Fayose said he couldn’t but be amused by the response of Atiku’s camp.
He asked the ex-VP to ensure a rebuttal was issued within 48 hours or he would be compelled to spill more beans.
Fayose said, “Because of my respect for Atiku, I will want to assume that he did not authorise the press statement and I will expect that after seeing it, he will within 48 hours, cause a rebuttal to be issued on it.
“Should Atiku not publicly disown the statement within the next 48 hours, I will have no option but to spill more beans (the facilitors and executioners) of the Minna meeting, particularly what was said about Wike) and by then, I will be doing so without any atom of respect for him.
“Till then, we keep our gunpowder dry.”
