Tinubu Did Not Donate Party for Atiku's 2007 Run

Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, disputed claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu "donated his party" to Atiku for the 2007 presidential election. In a Facebook post, Ibe stated that the Action Congress (AC) was formed in 2006 from a political coalition involving Tinubu's faction of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), the Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD), and other smaller groups.

He emphasized that the AC was not Tinubu's personal property but a product of broader political realignment. Ibe referenced Bisi Akande's autobiography, which indicated that the understanding was for Atiku to be the presidential candidate, with Tinubu as a potential running mate, a pairing that did not occur due to Atiku's reluctance for a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

Ibe also noted that Atiku has recognized their longstanding political relationship, asserting that their history involved mutual political support rather than a one-sided benefactor-beneficiary dynamic.