Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed as false and malicious a report allegedly authored by former Ekiti State Governor, Peter Ayodele Fayose, which claimed there were secret political negotiations involving Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde in Minna, Niger State.

In a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the publication titled “Between Atiku and Makinde, Untold Story of What Happened in Minna Yesterday” as a “reckless and shameless fabrication.”

Shaibu said Atiku did not at any time engage in discussions over vice-presidential tickets, monetary contributions, zoning arrangements, delegate guarantees, or any alleged clandestine meetings, including those purported to have taken place in Dubai.

“The entire story is insider fiction — manufactured to mislead, distract, and provoke,” the statement said, adding that attempts to rope other political actors into the narrative only exposed the desperation behind the claims.

According to the statement, Atiku’s political engagements remain “broad-based, principled, and national in scope,” and not the “transactional theatrics” portrayed in the report.

The former vice president further warned that falsehoods may gain temporary attention but would ultimately collapse under the weight of truth, urging the public to treat the publication “with the contempt it deserves.”

The statement was signed by Phrank Shaibu and dated February 12, 2026, in Abuja.