Atiku Abubakar not in US - Media aide debunks reports

An aide to the PDP presidential candidate in the 2019 election has debunked claims that his principal, Atiku Abubakar, travelled to the US

- Paul Ibe said that claims Atiku had travelled to the US were a figment of the imagination of the authors

- According to Ibe, "His Excellency hasn’t gone anywhere"

Contrary to claims on social media, that the presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has just travelled to the Washington DC, United States of America, his special adviser on media, Paul Ibe, has debunked these reports.

Daily Trust reports that Ibe in a telephone conversation said that claims Atiku had travelled to the US were a figment of the imagination of the authors.

The social media had on Thursday, January 17, gone wild with claims that the PDP presidential candidate left Nigeria to speak at the Chamber of Commerce in the US.

Also, the Cable had in a report titled: "BREAKING: Atiku arrives US, ‘to speak at chamber of commerce’" said Atiku is expected to speak at the Chamber of Commerce on Friday, from 2:30 pm to 4 pm local time.

It also said that the PDP presidential candidate 'secretly' flew out from Lagos on Wednesday, January 16, night with most of his aides and associates taken unawares.

Although the newspaper said it could not confirm the event, it also noted that a private round-table which would be hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce and the US Africa Business Centre, will take place at 1615 H street, NW 20062.

It also said e-email have been sent to the centre to confirm if the round-table since there is no information about the event on the centre's website.

However in his reaction, Ibe said: “You know what the social media can do. You know the social media for what they are now. It is not true. His Excellency hasn’t gone anywhere."

Also in another breathe, the publisher of Ovation Magazine and Boss Newspaper on Twitter posted a link to a story titled; "BREAKING ATIKU LANDS IN US."

The story said that there are strong indications that Atiku will land in Washington DC, USA today.

It also said that:"A promotional material sighted by The Boss indicate that Atiku has been invited to speak in Washington by the US-Africa Chambers of Commerce on Friday and the event will hold from 2-4pm."

The Boss Newspaper also claimed that Atiku is billed to attend other high profile meetings in and around Washing DC.

The report had claimed that presidential candidate of the main opposition had reportedly been granted a United States visa.

However, in a reaction, his media aide said the presidential candidate had gone on a private visit to the United Kingdom.

He said Atiku is back and preparing for his campaign which starts on Monday December 3 in Sokoto state.