Atiku Disowns Online Grant Scheme

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has denied the purported disbursement of grants to unsuspecting Nigerians by his campaign organisation.

He therefore urged the public to discountenance communication and refrain from participating in any online scheme that is aimed at defrauding innocent Nigerians, with the ulterior motive to embarrass the presidential campaign.

Atiku made this known in a statement yesterday in Abuja through his campaign organisation.

He said: “The attention of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation has been drawn to an on-going scheme that purports to disburse grants to unsuspecting Nigerians.

“Information available to us reveal that the scheme code-named ‘Atiku Grant Disbursement Programme’ (see linkbit.ly/2NP4vup) is asking unsuspecting members of the public to contribute a certain amount of money which will be multiplied for them after they have downloaded a particular social media application.”

The former vice president therefore disclaimed the scheme and any other in such manner, noting that his campaign organisation was not in any way involved with the scheme or any other in such manner and neither did it give a proxy authorisation.

He added: “The campaign organisation also wishes to inform the public that the official/verified social media handles of Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the PDP and former Vice President of Nigeria remains the following: www.atiku.org (Blog); www.facebook.com/atiku.org (Facebook); www.twitter.com/atiku(Twitter); www.instagram.com/aatiku (Instagram).

“The public is therefore put on notice to discountenance communication that did not emanate from any of these social media accounts and to refrain from participating in any online scheme that is aimed at defrauding innocent Nigerians, with the ulterior motive to embarrass the presidential campaign of Atiku Abubakar.”