Former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, has denied claims linking his campaign financing to Ifeanyi Okowa, his running mate and former governor of Delta State.
The allegations surfaced after Okowa’s arrest over alleged mismanagement of N1.3 trillion in Delta State’s 13 percent derivation funds from 2015 to 2023.
Reports revealed that some of these funds were funneled into the PDP’s 2023 presidential campaign.
Atiku responded by clarifying that his campaign operations were self-funded, a practice he has consistently followed across multiple election cycles.
He said that his running mates have never been financial contributors to his political pursuits.
Atiku’s camp dismissed the allegations as baseless, attributing them to attempts to tarnish both his and Okowa’s reputations.
His update on social media platform, X, reads:
“In 2007, Atiku Abubakar chose Ben Obi as his running mate, not for political position but for his merit. Again, in 2019, Atiku selected Peter Obi, despite him not being a sitting governor, driven by Obi’s qualifications rather than his title. In 2023, Atiku’s choice fell on Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa. Contrary to malicious claims, Okowa was not responsible for funding Atiku’s extensive campaign in any way.
“Atiku has always independently funded his campaigns and does not rely on his running mates for financial support. Any attempt to besmirch Atiku’s reputation through these falsehoods is a baseless insult, driven by those with ulterior motives against Okowa.”
