“Show us the proof”: Atiku demands daily photos and videos of Tinubu in Makkah, claims France is the real destination
Atiku Abubakar's campaign wants dated photos and videos, every day, of President Tinubu performing Umrah at the Kaaba, and disclosure of who is paying for the trip. He calls the pilgrimage a “smokescreen”; the Presidency says it is a prayer trip.
The demand: in a statement on Wednesday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku asked the Presidency to release dated photographs and videos, each day, of President Tinubu at the Kaaba performing Umrah rites, and to disclose how the trip is funded.
The claim: Atiku called the pilgrimage a “smokescreen”, saying “credible intelligence” points to France as the President's real destination, possibly after a brief appearance in Makkah. This is an allegation; Votewise has not verified it.
The links he draws: he tied the trip to questions about the President's health and to the reported $20bn loan request involving a French business partner.
The Presidency's position: the Presidency said Tinubu left Abuja on Thursday to perform Umrah and pray for Nigeria, and would return next week. His aide Dada Olusegun said he is “not heading to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment” and is “fit as a fiddle”. No response to Atiku's specific demand had been reported at the time of writing.
Sources
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