Former Nigeria vice president and presidential candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP) has denied owning an online financial grant scheme.

The scheme named ‘Atiku Grant Disbursement Programme’ operated as a Ponzi scheme where individuals were being asked to contribute some amount of money and get an increment after a period of time.

“The APCO disclaims this scheme and any other in such manner,” Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation said in a statement.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organization is not in any way involved with the scheme or any other in such manner and neither did it give a proxy authorization.”

“Information available to us reveals that the scheme code-named ‘Atiku Grant Disbursement Programme’ is asking unsuspecting members of the public to contribute a certain amount of money which will be multiplied for them after they have downloaded a particular social media application.”

The campaign team said the scheme was floated in order to soil the name of the PDP presidential candidate.

APCO also urged members of the public to verify programmes alleged to have been initiated by the former vice-president on his social media accounts and disregard if not authorised by Atiku.

“The public is therefore put on notice to discountenance communication that did not emanate from any of these social media accounts and to refrain from participating in an online scheme that is aimed at defrauding innocent Nigerians, with the ulterior motive to embarrass the presidential campaign of Atiku Abubakar.”

•Sourced from The Guardian report