The presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25 election, Atiku Abubakar, on Thursday said he is not going into political retirement yet.
The former vice president was replying Vice President Kashim Shettima, who said on Wednesday that he would sent Atiku to Fombina to rear goats and sheep.
Mr Atiku, who spoke though his spokesperson Paul Ibe on Thursday, vowed to continue contributing his quota in deepening democracy.
“He (Atiku) is not going into retirement and will instead continue to be part of the struggle to deepen democracy in the country,” Mr Ibe said in a statement.
Mr Ibe it was not true that Atiku has congratulated President Bola Tinubu over the outcome of the election petition tribunal.
“It is fake news being orchestrated by those desperately looking for validation for the usurpation of the mandate of Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Atiku couldn’t have validated electoral banditry because doing so would have amounted to a rape on the conscience of Nigerians who have struggled for years to entrench electoral integrity, he said.
“If their 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.”
