Governor Sanwo-Olu didn’t fund my campaign in 2023 – Atiku

The former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has denied allegations that Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu contributed funds to his campaign during the 2023 presidential election.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Paul Ibe, the Atiku Media Office dismissed reports suggesting that Sanwo-Olu, through businesswoman Aisha Achimugu, provided him with money allegedly linked to Lagos State.

“The reports in a section of the media that the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, through Ms. Aisha Achimugu, made available to Atiku Abubakar, Vice President of Nigeria (1999–2007), money purportedly belonging to Lagos State is not true,” the statement read.

The statement further noted that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is already investigating the matter but described the allegations as a politically motivated attempt to tarnish Atiku’s reputation.

Referring to the claims as “a blatant lie from the pit of hell” and “a futile campaign of calumny,” the media office accused political opponents of fabricating the story to serve their interests.

Ibe asserted that Atiku had no prior interactions with Governor Sanwo-Olu. “It may interest Nigerians to note that the Waziri of Adamawa does not know Governor Sanwo-Olu and has never met him before,” he stated.

He also dismissed the notion that Atiku could have been involved in a financial arrangement with Sanwo-Olu, particularly during an election in which the governor’s political ally was a contestant.

“This is a hatchet job aimed at providing justification to jettison Governor Sanwo-Olu, who appears to have fallen out of favour with the ‘Bourdillon Cult’,” the statement added.

Atiku’s camp claimed that the allegations were part of a broader strategy to undermine both Sanwo-Olu and the emerging coalition of opposition leaders, in which Atiku plays a significant role.

The statement challenged the EFCC to publicly disclose the outcome of its investigation, insisting that transparency was necessary.

“Since the EFCC has been dragged into the arena of politics and propaganda, we challenge the anti-corruption agency to make public the outcome of its alleged investigation,” it stated.

Meanwhile, efforts to obtain comments from the Presidency and the EFCC on the matter were unsuccessful. Calls and messages to the President’s media aides and the EFCC spokesperson went unanswered at the time of filing this report.

According to reports by PREMIUM TIMES, Aisha Achimugu is currently under EFCC investigation over allegations of money laundering and an investment scam.

Sources within the anti-graft agency revealed that Achimugu was summoned to appear before investigators on March 5 but failed to do so. Instead, she reportedly left the country, prompting the EFCC to obtain an arrest warrant.

Achimugu, a business executive, is the Managing Director and CEO of Felak Concept Group, which specializes in engineering, consultancy, and maritime operations. She has been linked to several high-profile infrastructure projects in Nigeria.