By Doris Israel Ijeoma
The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, is in robust good health, says his Media Aide, Paul Ibe.
Mr Ibe, in a statement on Monday in Abuja, said that the video in circulation regarding the health of Mr Abubakar was the work of mischief makers with no understanding of security protocols
“Our attention has been drawn to a report and a video in a section of the media purporting to be of an “ailing” Abubakar being helped strapped to his car seatbelt by an aide.
“Nothing can be further from the truth. For the records, the Presidential candidate of the PDP is in robust good health,” Mr Ibe said.
He said that they would not ordinarily have responded to the mischief, but for the impression that it would create in the minds of Nigerians which was exactly the objective of the purveyors of the fake news.
He recalled that the former Vice President was in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, on Thursday for the grand rally of the PDP ahead of weekend’s election and victory of its governorship candidate, Ademola Adeleke.
“It is important to note that protective operation encompasses all measures being put in place to ensure extreme safety of a VIP both on foot movements, static, and on motion.
“It is the responsibility of the head of Abubakar’s security to ensure his safety before the convoy commences any movement.
“Since VIP movement entails protective driving, securing a VIP before embarking on any type of journey, be it short or long distance, cannot be over emphasised.
“The overriding consideration at all times is the safety of Abubakar,” he said.
Mr Ibe said that Mr Abubakar was not averse to scrutiny because of the consequential nature of the 2023 elections.
“However, it is our position that such scrutiny must not be predicated on a slash and burn rogue journalism as is the case with this contrived report,” he said.
