Atiku denies sharing bags of rice for 2019 election

Atiku Abubakar

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has denied ownership of bags of rice purportedly being distributed to campaign for him ahead of the 2019 presidential election.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain made the denial in a message by his media office on Monday

Images of a bag of rice with his picture placed boldly on it has been circulating online, leading many to believe the 70-year-old was using it as bait to get voters to achieve his presidential ambition.

But in a message shared on social media, the Waziri Adamawa said the image is “possibly Photoshop”.

Atiku, who many believe will dump the APC for a possible return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to achieve his presidential ambition, stated that he owns a feed factory, employing hundreds, not rice.

He added in a Facebook post that he has not commissioned any posters for the elections.

Atiku’s attempt at running for the presidency in 2007, 2010 and 2015 have all ended in failure, prompting him to move from the PDP to the Action Congress (AC), back to PDP and finally to APC.

It is believed that the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), which was registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in August 2013, is his backup plan to contest the 2019 election if he does not get the APC ticket or that of the PDP in case he returns to the former ruling party.