The camp of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Benue State for the 2027 elections, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa (SAN), has dismissed as false and politically motivated a report alleging a clandestine alliance involving him, former Governor Samuel Ortom, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
In a statement issued on Saturday by his Media Assistant, James Ian, Aondoakaa described the report as a fabrication orchestrated by “desperate political elements” seeking to mislead the public and gain undue advantage ahead of the forthcoming elections.
The statement categorically denied the existence of any meeting, agreement or political arrangement linking Aondoakaa with the named political figures in support of Atiku’s alleged presidential ambition in 2027.
According to Ian, “there was no such meeting, negotiation or understanding involving Chief Aondoakaa and the other leaders as alleged,” stressing that the report lacked any credible evidence.
He further questioned the authenticity of the group, “International Centre for Transparency Nigeria (ICTN),” which was credited with the purported report, describing it as a faceless organisation with no verifiable track record.
“The publication offers no documentary evidence, no communiqué and no verifiable link connecting Chief Aondoakaa to the alleged arrangement. What we have is a collection of conjectures and political gossip presented as intelligence,” the statement noted.
The Aondoakaa camp also faulted the medium that circulated the report for publishing what it admitted was unverified, arguing that such disclaimers do not validate falsehood.
“It is curious that a report built on unverified allegations is being circulated as news. An unverified claim does not become credible simply because it is extensively written,” Ian stated.
The statement described as baseless the claim that Aondoakaa was acting as a political bridge among Ortom, Akume and Atiku, insisting that no evidence had been provided to substantiate such an assertion.
Reaffirming Aondoakaa’s political focus, Ian said the PDP candidate remains committed to building a broad-based coalition across ethnic, religious and political lines in Benue State, with emphasis on security, economic revival, agriculture, job creation and good governance.
He added that legitimate political consultations should not be misrepresented as evidence of a non-existent presidential alliance.
The statement also referenced the political antecedents of former Governor Samuel Ortom, noting his well-known stance on power rotation ahead of the 2023 elections as a member of the G-5 Governors who opposed Atiku’s candidacy on grounds of equity and fairness.
“It is on record that Ortom paid a political price for his position, which underscores the inconsistency of the current allegation,” Ian argued.
The attempt to link Senator George Akume to the alleged arrangement was similarly dismissed as an effort to lend credibility to what the statement described as a “concocted narrative.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, there has been no meeting or arrangement involving Chief Aondoakaa, Chief Ortom and Senator Akume to support Atiku Abubakar. No such arrangement exists,” the statement emphasised.
The media aide suggested that the emergence of Aondoakaa as the PDP governorship candidate may have unsettled political opponents, leading to a wave of misinformation and targeted attacks.
He noted that repeated attempts to drag the candidate into controversies reflect the anxiety of rivals who perceive his candidacy as a formidable threat in the 2027 race.
The statement challenged the authors of the report to provide concrete evidence of the alleged meeting, including details of when and where it was held, who convened it, and who attended.
“They must present verifiable proof to support their claims. Anything short of that remains a fabrication designed to mislead the public,” Ian said.
The Aondoakaa camp urged the public to disregard the report and remain focused on issues that directly impact governance and development in Benue State.
It therefore called on media organisations to uphold professional standards by verifying information before publication, particularly in the build-up to a critical electoral cycle.
Ends
