Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) is not in talks with Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Head of Media, Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Diran Onifade has said.
In a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, Onifade said claims that Obi was in talks with Atiku with a view to stepping down for the PDP Presidential candidate was “totally false and baseless.”
This online newspaper understands that Atiku was reported to have said he was in talks with Obi and the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso ahead of this month’s presidential election.
But according to the statement issued by Onifade, the LP candidate was not in any talks with Atiku or anyone else with a view to stepping down from a race in which Obi is the frontrunner.
The statement reads: “We have been inundated with enquiries about the claim of an ongoing discussion between our Presidential ticket and the camp of PDP’s Presidential Candidate,Atiku Abubakar.
“For emphasis, we wish to repeat, as we have said all day, that the claim is totally false and baseless. We are not in any talks with Atiku or anyone else with a view to stepping down from a race in which we are the frontrunner.
“Peter Obi is in the contest to win in consonance with the aspiration of the majority of Nigerians who desire a New Nigeria devoid of lies, corruption and selfish scheming.”