‘APC fabricated it’ — Atiku denies hiring US lobbyist | Nairalaw

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), has denied hiring a US lobbyist firm to advance in his
bid to take over power from President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement on Wednesday, Atiku, a former vice-president,
said the reports of the alleged contract is a handiwork of the All
Progressives Congress (APC).

Atiku is at the presidential election tribunal to challenge the
declaration of Buhari as winner by the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC).

According to a report by Centre for Responsive Politics (CRP),
Bruce Fein, former justice department official and his firm Fein
& DelValle PLLC registered as foreign agents of PDP and Atiku
on March 24.

The report said the firm is expected to “encourage Congress and
the executive to forbear from a final declaration and recognition
of Nigeria’s February 23, 209 presidential election until
outstanding legal challenges to the initial government of Nigeria
assertion that incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari was the victor
are impartially and independently resolved by the supreme court of
Nigeria without political or military influence, intimidation or
manipulation.”

But in the statement issued on his behalf by Paul Ibe, his
spokesman, Atiku dismissed the report as “total fabrication” by the
APC, adding that it “didn’t come as a surprise to us because lying
has become their only bragging rights of competence.”

The statement added that “since Atiku resisted pressure not to
go to court, the APC has been behaving like a cat on hot bricks
because the outcome of the 2019 elections has exposed and shattered
the facade of their dubious integrity.”

“The APC are behaving nervously like a thief living under the
fear of being exposed and shamed; they are now using fake news
against Atiku instead of focusing on defending themselves in the
court,” the statement read.

“For a party that has broken the worst record in election
rigging, the APC doesn’t have any iota of integrity to be taken
seriously by anybody.

“Atiku’s court case has become their biggest burden because it
exposes their integrity as a sham, and instead of defending their
stolen mandate in court, they are now using fake news to divert
public attention from the historic electoral heist they have
committed against Nigerians.

“No amount of diversionary propaganda and fake news campaign by
APC will stop Atiku Abubakar from continuing the court action he
started to reclaim the stolen mandate.”