Atiku Abubakar's Media Adviser Clarifies Presidential Bids

Paul Ibe, the Media Adviser to Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress, responded to claims made by Femi Fani-Kayode regarding Atiku's history of presidential bids. Ibe stated that Atiku has appeared on the presidential ballot three times—2007, 2019, and 2023—not seven times as claimed by Fani-Kayode.

He clarified that Atiku contested party nominations in 1993, 2011, and 2015 but was not a candidate in those general elections. Ibe criticized Fani-Kayode for conflating party primaries with actual presidential elections and noted that Nigeria's Constitution does not limit the number of times an individual can contest for the presidency.

On the topic of party membership, Ibe addressed the claim that Atiku belonged to seven parties, stating that the People’s Front of Nigeria was a political association, not a registered party. He also discussed historical context regarding Atiku's political decisions and referenced an ICC tribunal's findings related to a financial transfer involving Atiku's then-wife.