Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of distorting facts regarding the selection of his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.
In a statement on Saturday, Olayinka dismissed Atiku’s claim as untrue, expressing disappointment that the former vice president made such a statement during the sacred month of Ramadan.
Atiku had earlier stated, “In 2023, I asked the party to form a committee to recommend three names.
“The committee ranked Okowa as the top choice, Wike in second place, and former Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel in third. So I chose number one.”
Countering this, Olayinka argued that Wike actually emerged as the committee’s top choice, securing 13 votes, while Okowa received only two. “How can a candidate with two votes be ranked above one who had 13? The facts speak for themselves,” he said.
“The PDP committee selected Wike as Atiku’s running mate, but for reasons best known to him, he opted for Okowa instead. That is the truth Atiku should acknowledge rather than attempt to rewrite history,” Olayinka added.
Quoting Islamic teachings, he stressed the importance of honesty, particularly during Ramadan. “Al-Bukhaari (1903, 6057) quoted Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) as saying that the Holy Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) said: ‘Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, and ignorance, Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) has no need of him giving up his food and drink.’”
Olayinka further remarked, “It is regrettable that Atiku chose to make false claims so openly during Ramadan, seemingly forgetting that Allah (SWT) does not answer the prayers of liars. Perhaps this explains his repeated failures in his quest to become Nigeria’s president.”
However, he clarified that Wike had moved on from the 2023 election. “As I said earlier, Wike has no regrets about not being chosen as Atiku’s running mate, nor does he regret the stance he took during the election.”