Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed reports claiming he plans to step down for a younger presidential candidate.
In a statement released on Thursday by his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku described the reports as false and misleading.
He stressed that at no point during his interview with the BBC Hausa Service did he say he would withdraw for anyone.
According to Ibe, a review of both the video and transcripts of the interview, in Hausa and English, showed that Atiku never suggested he was stepping aside.
Instead, the former vice president emphasised that young politicians and other aspirants are free to contest for the presidency.
The statement explained that Atiku only made it clear he would not hesitate to support any younger candidate who emerges through a fair and competitive primary election.
“While interpretative journalism is acceptable, stretching interpretations to create mischief is wrong and should not be encouraged,” the statement read in part.
Ibe further said that the claims attributed to Atiku were misrepresentations and did not reflect his actual words during the interview.
Atiku, who served as Nigeria’s vice president between 1999 and 2007, has contested for the presidency several times and remains one of the country’s leading opposition figures.