Atiku Abubakar, Presidential candidate under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 elections, addressed speculation linking him to Integrated Logistic Services Nigeria Limited (Intels).
Denying any current ties, Atiku asserted his sale of shares in the company, which he co-founded, to Orlean Investment Group in December 2020, with a public exit from the firm in January 2021.
Atiku emphasized that this divestment remained unchanged, stressing his non-involvement in the reinstatement of the boat pilotage monitoring business previously withdrawn by the government from Intels. He clarified, “My divestment from the company that I co-founded has not been reversed. Consequently, I cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, be a beneficiary of the reinstatement of the boat pilotage monitoring business that was taken away from Intels by the Federal Government.”
Categorically refuting any claims associating him with benefiting from the contract’s cancellation reversal, Atiku labeled such insinuations as “mischief.” His statement sought to dispel rumors surrounding his alleged connection to Intels, reinforcing his prior sale of shares and public disengagement from the company.
In a statement on X he released on Sunday, Atiku that he is not a beneficiary of the reinstatement of the boat pilotage monitoring business that the federal government took away from Intels.
“In January 2021, I made public the sale of my shares in Integrated Logistic Services Nigeria Limited (Intels) to Orlean Investment Group, the parent company of Intels.
“The phased sale of those shares that commenced in 2018 peaked in December 2020. Intels also made public my exit from the oil and gas logistics company, meaning that a different entity now owns those shares I sold.
“My divestment from the company that I co-founded has not been reversed. Consequently, I cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, be a beneficiary of the reinstatement of the boat pilotage monitoring business that was taken away from Intels by the Federal Government.
“Therefore, the insinuation that I am a beneficiary of the decision to rescind the cancellation of the contract between Intels and the Federal Government is untrue and should be seen for what it is: mischief,” he wrote.