Lauretta Onochie says no apology to ‘depressed’ Atiku

Presidential aide Lauretta Onochie Monday said the demand for a public apology by the presidential candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar shows he is “depressed”.

“This is in no way responding to the depressed Alhaji Atiku Abubakar whose aides are constantly cooking up disgrace for him, for the sake of their stomachs, instead of giving him his pills,” Onochie said in a post on her Facebook page on Monday.

Onochie, a social media aide of President Muhammadu Buhari drew the ire of Abubakar after accusing him of being on the watchlist of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for corruption as well as shopping for terrorists in the Middle East.

She did not provide any evidence for her claims and allegations against Abubakar.

Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president of Nigeria who contested and the 2019 presidential election to Buhari asked Onochie to issue him a public apology over what he called her defamatory statements.

Abubakar in a letter through his counsel, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, threatened to institute a 2 billion Naira suit against Onochie if she did not meet his demands.

Onochie, who appears not to regret her earlier statements against Atiku said the former president’s demands are mere plots to distract her from her job with President Buhari whom Abubakar is challenging his election victory at the election tribunal.

“We are entering into the most crucial time at the Election Tribunal where the mandate freely given to our beloved President by Nigerians, is being challenged and I’m their nightmare,” Onochie said.

She said Abubakar “In their thinking, (are saying) Let’s distract Lauretta Onochie. We can’t afford to have her focused on her job.

“I can’t be distracted,” Onochie said.

She said her reasons not to be distracted is the support from about 34 million supporters of President Buhari across the country.