By Ismaila Jimoh, Abuja
Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communication and Social Media, Lere Olayinka has said that it was very unfortunate that the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar failed to respect the Holy Month of Ramadan by giving the public false narration on how the PDP vice presidential candidate for 2023 election was chosen.
Atiku had said, “So in 2023, I told the party to set up a committee to recommend three names. The committee ranked Okowa as the top choice, with Wike in second place and former Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel in third. So I picked number one.”
But, in a statement made available to journalists on Saturday in Abuja by Olayinka, the spokesperson to the FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, he said Atiku was lying by trying to rewrite history as against what actually transpired during the period.
According to him: ” It became necessary to put the records straight, hence the need to debunk Atiku’s lies, insisting that “Wike never put himself forward to be Atiku’s running mate then, Atiku did by himself, and he (Wike) accepted his offer with conditions.”
Olayinka said it was a fact that in the committee report, Wike had 13 votes while Okowa had two.
He said “the committee set up by the PDP picked Wike as Atiku’s running mate, but for reasons best known to him, he settled for Okowa, who had two votes from the committee members. That’s the truth Atiku should tell and stand with, not trying to colour his decision with falsehood.”
Olayinka, who noted that, for devout Muslims, the period of Ramadan is that of holiness, said “Al-Bukhaari (1903, 6057) quoted Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) as saying that 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.’
“Unfortunate, Atiku chose to tell lies so brazenly during the holy month of Ramadan, obviously forgetting that Allah (SWT) do not hearken to the prayers of liars, probably the reason he (Atiku) has continually failed in his desperation to be president of Nigeria.”
While advising Atiku, to always be honest to stand by his decisions, Olayinka said the FCT Minister was no longer interested in what happened and what did not happen concerning the 2023 presidential election.
