The Director-General of the Saraki Campaign Council, Osaro Onaiwu, has said his principal and other aspirants have not stepped down for the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
In a statement on Wednesday, Mr. Onaiwu described online reports suggesting that the aspirants angling for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket have withdrawn from the race in favour of Atike as untrue.
He said, “Our attention has been called to an online Newspaper that our candidate alongside their Excellencies Governors Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi States have stepped down for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for the PDP presidential ticket.
“The report is sheer mischief and planted by those who want to gain the PDP ticket by deceit. For clarity purposes, our candidate and three other aspirants met with Vice President Atiku on Monday with the sole objective to inform him of their push towards a consensus candidate for the party.
“At that meeting, there was no talk of any of the aspirants stepping down as it is yet premature. To, therefore, find a planted story smacks of desperation and ill-intention.”
