Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has retracted his earlier story of speaking with the widow of Ibrahim Sakaba.
Late Sakaba was one of the 44 soldiers killed by Boko Haram insurgents during an attack on 157 Task Force Battalion in Metele, Borno State in November.
Mr Abubakar has now said he spoke with the slain soldier’s sister, Maryam.
The PDP candidate had been criticised for claiming to have spoken on telephone with Sakaba’s wife, Seun, in a message on Twitter on Sunday.
Mrs Sakaba on Monday however denied receiving a phone call from Abubakar and wondered why the 72-year-old politician lied.
“Why the lies? I have not received any call from Atiku please,” she said.
Abubakar has now set the record straight and apologised for the error.
”Following the death of Lt. Col Ibrahim Sakaba during the Boko Haram insurgents’ attack on 157 Taskforce Battalion in Metele, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar’s staff has made efforts to get the contact of his widow to enable the former Vice President express his condolences over the loss of the fallen hero.
”Over the weekend, Atiku Abubakar was availed with phone numbers of Mrs. Sakaba and Maryam, younger sister of the late soldier, in the alternative.
”On Sunday, the former Vice President tried albeit unsuccessfully to contact Mrs. Sakaba but was able to eventually speak with Maryam, younger sister of the gallant soldier during which he expressed his deepest condolences to the family.
”However, this communication was erroneously communicated. The error is regretted,” the statement read.
Abubakar however reaffirmed his deepest condolences to the Sakaba family.
