The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has travelled to Europe on business, his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, said last night.
In a statement in Abuja, Ibe said Atiku travelled on Monday night “on a scheduled trip to meet with the technical partners of one his business entities that was impacted by the COVID-19 global lockdown and the consequent economic downturn”.
The media aide added that Atiku’s meeting in Europe will also focus on “conclusive discussions for a planned expansion of its production facility”.
The PDP presidential candidate had appeared in Paris, France, yesterday, barely 24 hours after he attended the party’s campaign rally in Kaduna.
In a photograph posted on the Facebook page of one of the PDP presidential spokespersons, Senator Dino Melaye, the former Vice President is seen with a former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and Melaye.
Also, the PDP campaign rally scheduled to hold in Sokoto yesterday did not take place.
The spokesperson defended the statement credited to Atiku where he urged northerners not to vote for Yoruba and Ibo presidential candidates.
Atiku, who was in Kaduna on Saturday, was captured in a viral video telling his audience, who were mainly northerners, to vote for him, a northerner, in the 2023 presidential election.
The PDP candidate has received flaks, following his statement, which many people view as an ethnic bias.
But in a statement, Aniagwu described Atiku as a Pan-Nigerian leader and not an ethnic jingoist.
According to him, the PDP standard bearer remains a Pan-Nigerian leader and a unifier who has built bridges across the country.
Aniagwu, who spoke on an Arise TV programme on Monday night, said the statement credited to Atiku was being misunderstood and quoted out of context.
