PNC's leader Abdul Raheem Abdulla (Adhurey). (Photo/PPM)

PNC’s leader Abdul Raheem Abdulla (Adhurey) has dismissed a report on an online news outlet claiming former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom expressed displeasure at PPM-PNC’s presidential candidate, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, as a “complete fabrication.”

According to the report, Yameen voiced his criticism of Muizzu at the High Court on Wednesday, after an appeal hearing in the Aarah case. The opposition leader reportedly said that Muizzu lacked popularity, and was shooting himself in the foot.

Adhurey dismissed the report as fake.

He described the report as a desperate attempt by Muizzu’s rivals to discredit him.

“What they are doing is writing articles on different news outlets under different bylines, claiming that President Yameen says he doesn’t support Dr. Muizzu or that Dr. Muizzu no longer talks to him,” said Abdul Raheem.

He said that neither President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, nor his administration, have any knowledge on what Yameen says or doesn’t say.

He said that it is the PPM-PNC coalition that knows what Yameen says.

“And what President Yameen says is to move forward with Dr. Muizzu,” he said.

“On the last day we met him in court, right after he sat down, he asked; Muizzu, what are you doing here? Shiyam, what are you doing here? Abdul Raheem, what are you doing here? He told us not to come, to go and campaign. He said we need to win this election, that we need to elect Dr. Muizzu.”

He repeatedly accused the current administration of spreading fake reports to discredit Muizzu.

“They are desperate. They don’t know what to do. They realize they have failed big,” he said.

“Be sure, Dr. Muizzu has President Yameen’s full support."