Atiku under fire over orphan story

FOR allegedly lying on how he grew up, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, cannot be trusted, the Presidency said yesterday.

Joining issues with Atiku  over a statement credited to him on how he sold firewood as an orphan, the presidency said it was wrong of a 38-year-old man  to refer to himself as an orphan.

Atiku had on Monday while unveiling his campaign policy document titled: ‘The Atiku plan’ recounted how he started out selling firewood as an orphan in Adamawa before he got rich.

“I started out as an orphan, selling firewood on the streets of Jada in Adamawa, but God, through the Nigerian state, invested in me and here I am today. If Nigeria worked for me, I owe it as my duty to make sure that Nigeria also works for you,” the former vice president was quoted as saying.

But, the Presidency yesterday took on the PDP presidential standard bearer through the Social Media aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, Lauretta Onochie, who described Atiku’s statement as lies and urged Nigerians not to trust the former vice president.

Onochie wondered how Atiku became an orphan in 1984 when he was rich at the age of 38.

She argued that “it’s disrespectful and insulting to Nigerians for a candidate or anyone to lie to them.”

Onochie, on her Facebook page wrote: “Atiku cannot be trusted; I started life as an Orphan in Jada”-Abubakar Atiku (BIG FAT LIE)

“ORPHAN – a child whose parents (father and mother) are dead. In his book, MY LIFE (2013 pg 30) refers: Atiku said his mother died in 1984. This was when he was 38 years. He was old enough to buy mum a house.

“What’s the point of this lie – to deceive Nigerians and get their sympathy? It’s disrespectful and insulting to Nigerians for a candidate or anyone to lie to them.

“He is saying we are too gullible to find out the truth. No, we are not. President Buhari, nor Vice President Osinbajo will never lie to Nigerians.”