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Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday,
decried the smear campaign against him and his family by some faceless
politicians and threatened to take legal action soon.

The presidential aspirant said in a statement issued
by the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation in Abuja, that the
campaigns, which are both prosecuted online and in newspapers, are
carefully orchestrated and well-funded by the unnamed politicians and
are aimed at frustrating his political ambition.

“The smear campaign against Atiku through newspapers
(online and hard copies), text messages, e-mails, posters and
pamphlets, among others is the handiwork of political opponents, who
are mortally afraid of Atiku’s political ascendancy,” the statement
said. “It is most unfortunate that these politicians will not take on
Atiku on the issues of governance and welfare of Nigerians, which he
has made the hallmark of his campaign.” The statement quoted Mr Atiku
as saying that he will not be deterred in his commitment to an
issue-based campaign that will focus on the concerns and welfare of
Nigerians and the future of the country.

The former vice president said that formal complaints
have been lodged with security agencies to identify the faceless
sponsors of the campaigns and called on Nigerians to dismiss the
allegations.

While noting that his lawyers have taken legal notice
of these smear campaigns, he also warned that he will not hesitate to
drag any Global System of Mobile Telecommunication company that makes
itself available for use in the propagation of these libellous
materials against him and his family to court.

“We challenge the sponsors of this campaign of calumny to show
courage, put their faces and names to the claims and substantiate them.
Anonymity and cowardice are not attributes of leadership. Those who lay
claims to leadership should not be afraid to stake the basis of their
claims in public,” he said.