The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has described as rubbish an audio clip on social media wherein he purportedly revealed plans by himself; Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, to rig the presidential election.
In a statement issued in Abuja by Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, the PDP presidential candidate said the latest fake audio clip in circulation was a confirmation of his warning last week that the opposition would deepen its propaganda ahead of the elections.
He said, “We warned last week that as the election approaches, there will be a spike in the rate of propaganda on social media. With barely 24 hours to the poll, we have witnessed propaganda from not just the All Progressives Congress but the Labour Party as well.
“In this latest drivel, a montage of speeches delivered by Atiku, Tambuwal, and Okowa since last year were manipulated and pieced together to give an impression that they were discussing plans to rig Saturday’s election. In this age of artificial intelligence technology, even dead people can be portrayed as delivering speeches. This is nothing new.
“For the record, Atiku has run in two presidential elections and has never been indicted or prosecuted for election violence or vote buying.
“But some people think they can sell a narrative of Atiku manipulating this election. This is indeed the height of desperation, the last kick of a dying horse. The APC and the Labour Party must note that elections are not won on social media but at the polling units.”
Atiku said the audio clip, which had been shared numerous times on WhatsApp, could be identified easily as a fake even from the voices of the purported discussants.
He added, “It is unfortunate that those seeking power will engage in outdated defeatist tactics. How can Tambuwal be referring to Atiku by his full name in a one-on-one private conversation? This is nonsensical, similar to the type of meaningless chatter about President Muhammadu Buhari being dead and replaced by one Jubril from Sudan.”
Atiku also advised his supporters not to engage in the propaganda war, which he said has become the style of both the APC and the Labour Party, saying they should respond by voting massively for the PDP on Saturday.
He added, “When they descend to the level of baseless propaganda, we will rise above it with dignity and respond with our PVCs. This election is a watershed in Nigerian history. Nigerians must not lose sight of what is most important, which is the need to rebuild this broken system, revitalize the economy, and improve security and the hope of the people in a united Nigeria.”