Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has firmly denied allegations that Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, funneled state funds to him through businesswoman Aisha Achimugu.
In a statement released by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku dismissed the claims as “a blatant lie from the pit of hell,” describing them as a politically motivated attack orchestrated to serve the interests of President Bola Tinubu.
“We at the Atiku Media Office have taken note of reports in a section of the media that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, through Ms. Aisha Achimugu, made available to His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, Vice President of Nigeria (1999-2007), money purportedly belonging to Lagos State,” the statement read.
Ibe further refuted the allegations, stressing that Atiku has never had any interactions or financial dealings with Governor Sanwo-Olu.
“This piece of kindergarten propaganda is beneath the camp of Tinubu. How is it possible for Atiku, who does not know and has no connection with Sanwo-Olu, to be involved in a financial transaction with him—especially during the 2023 presidential election in which Tinubu was a contestant? To what end would that be?” he questioned.
The statement also suggested that the allegations were part of a broader strategy to destabilize political opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Their strategy is twofold: to get rid of Sanwo-Olu and to discredit the coalition being put together by opposition political leaders, of which Atiku Abubakar is a key stakeholder,” Ibe added.
He also dismissed the credibility of the reports, particularly the citation of an unnamed aide of Sanwo-Olu, arguing that such claims were deliberately planted to fuel political discord.
“To even underscore how poor the propaganda is, an unnamed aide of Sanwo-Olu is quoted in the news story trashing his principal and adding fuel to the fire. Pray, who does that?” he said.
Regarding reports of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigating the matter, Ibe challenged the anti-corruption agency to make public any findings.
“Since the EFCC has been dragged into this political arena, we challenge the anti-corruption agency to make public the outcome of its alleged investigation,” he stated.
He concluded by calling for an end to what he described as a smear campaign against Atiku and other opposition figures.
“This voyage of misadventure and campaign of calumny against Atiku Abubakar must be halted immediately and with alacrity,” Ibe declared.
The allegations come amid rising political tensions and speculations about Governor Sanwo-Olu’s political future. As of now, neither the Lagos State government nor the EFCC has issued an official statement on the matter.
