Paul Ibe, media adviser to Atiku Abubakar, has challenged several claims made by Femi Fani-Kayode about the former vice president, arguing that some of the assertions require clarification and closer reference to the historical record.
In a THISDAY article published on September 28, Ibe disputed the claim that Atiku had made seven presidential attempts. He said Atiku contested party primaries in some of the years cited, but appeared on the presidential ballot in 2007, 2019 and 2023. He noted that the 2027 election would therefore mark Atiku’s fourth presidential general-election candidacy.
Ibe also questioned the assertion that Atiku had belonged to seven political parties. He argued that the People’s Front of Nigeria, which was included in that calculation, was a political association during the Babangida transition and was never registered as a political party.
On the 2003 political dispute involving Atiku and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibe said accounts of the episode remain contested. He maintained that Atiku has consistently said some PDP governors encouraged him to challenge Obasanjo for the party’s presidential ticket, but that he declined.
The article also addressed allegations surrounding the Mambilla power project. Ibe acknowledged that an ICC tribunal examined a $500,000 transaction involving Atiku’s former wife, Jennifer Douglas, but stressed that the tribunal did not find evidence that Atiku used his official position to facilitate the award of the contract to Sunrise.
On Atiku’s reported $1.2 million engagement of US-based firm Von Batten-Montague-York, Ibe said the arrangement was publicly registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), describing it as a government-affairs and strategic advisory engagement rather than a secret arrangement.
Ibe further disputed Fani-Kayode’s description of Atiku’s position on petroleum subsidies. He said Atiku’s proposal is focused on supporting locally refined petroleum products rather than restoring the former import-subsidy system.
He acknowledged that questions remain over the cost, implementation and legal implications of the proposal, but argued that those issues should be examined through policy debate rather than political accusations.
The response also challenged references to Fani-Kayode’s personal and political history, arguing that political arguments should be based on verifiable records rather than personal attacks.
Ibe concluded that disputed historical claims and political opinions should be distinguished from established facts, particularly as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections.
