Mr Vines revealed the reason for Atiku’s absence while hosting the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, at the Chatham House, London on Monday.

The Chatham House director of Africa Programme, Alex Vines has opened up on why the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar was absent after the institute had extended an invitation to him.

According to him, Atiku refused to respond to its invitation.

Mr Vines stated this in his opening remarks while hosting the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, at the Chatham House, London on Monday.

He said the independent policy institute had earlier hosted the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu.

Mr Vines added the institute would host the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmoud Yakubu, and presidential candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, on January 17 and 18 respectively.

“We have sent an invitation to the candidate of the PDP Atiku Abubakar but he is yet to reply to our invitation,” the director said.

Recall that on January 10, the presidential candidate of PDP arrived in London for a meeting with UK government officials and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.