Politics

Nigerians’ll choose between lifeless candidate and job provider in 2019 – Atiku

Published

6 years ago

October 9, 2018

The Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate in the February 14 , 2019 election , Atiku Abubakar, has said his emergence has brought confusion to the camp of his All Progressives Congress counterpart , President Muhammadu Buhari .
He said this was the reason why the Buhari ’ s camp felt that he ( the former Vice – President ) won the PDP ticket as a result of money politics.

Atiku said with his emergence as the PDP standard bearer in the 2019 presidential election , Nigerians would choose between him “ a job provider ” and Buhari whom he described as a “ lifeless candidate . ”

But the APC described the former Vice -President as “ a desperate , corrupt and an unreliable politician ” who it alleged had entrenched the anti – democratic practice of offering cash in exchange for votes .

However , a statement by Atiku ’ s media office in Abuja on Monday , said that the Buhari camp must have known that the era of favouritism had come to end in the country .

The statement said , “ We are not surprised that there is confusion in the President ’ s camp . We expected that they would be thrown into a catatonic state knowing that Atiku Abubabakr ’ s emergence automatically means the coming to an end of their ignominious reign .

“ That much was admitted by the President ’ s former running mate , Pastor Tunde Bakare , when he praised the emergence of Atiku as an ‘ eagle ’ and ‘ a cosmopolitan wazobia ’ politician .

“ Obviously , Pastor Tunde Bakare has foreseen that the era of 97 per cent versus five per cent has come to an end with the emergence of the pan – Nigerian Atiku Abubakar. ”

Atiku , in the statement, said that the wife of the President had even condemned the primaries of the ruling party , wondering if anyone could have known the APC more than her .

The statement said , “ We ask, how can the Buhari Campaign Organisation disparage the PDP primary that produced Atiku , when even the President ’ s own wife , Aisha Buhari, has condemned the APC ’ s primary ?

“ Not only did Mrs Buhari condemn the APC ’ s primaries , she described them as ‘ unfair ’ and lacking in integrity . Who can know President Buhari better than his wife ?”

In the statement, Atiku said there were other 11 aspirants that contested against him , adding that all of them had accepted his victory .
Buhari , who he said was the sole candidate of his party, was already being challenged by other five aggrieved interested aspirants .

He said , “ 11 aspirants contested against Atiku , during the presidential primary of the PDP . Every single one of them accepted his victory .

“ President Buhari was the only candidate cleared by the APC to contest its primary . Yet, a coalition of five aspirants is challenging his victory . That alone tells Nigerians his emergence is fraudulent. ”

Atiku , who debunked the allegation of corruption against him , said as the most investigated politician in Nigeria , the President would have arrested him because of his ( Buhari ’ s ) vindictive nature.

He stated , “ Nigerians know that Atiku Abubakar is the most investigated politician in Nigeria and any smear by the Buhari administration remains just that .

“ With the vindictiveness of President Buhari , he would have arrested Atiku if he had been found wanting .

“ However , to set the record straight, we want to remind Nigerians that the PDP ’ s primaries were genuine , free and fair . Atiku Abubakar got 1 , 532 votes in a contest televised live to millions of Nigerians . The APC ’ s primary , on the other hand , was a study in dictatorship and corruption . The sole candidate , Muhammadu Buhari , scored almost 15 million votes . How could that occur without rigging or manufacturing of faceless voters ?

“ No wonder Transparency International rated Nigeria as more corrupt today under Buhari , than just three years ago when the PDP was in power .

“ The scandals are too numerous , including the $ 25 bn NNPC contracts awarded without due process , the several padded budgets , the $ 41 m Ikoyi Apartment scandal , the recall , reinstatement and double promotion of an alleged pension thief and Buhari financier , Abdulrasheed Maina , the N 200 m grass cutting scandal , and many others too numerous to mention . ”

The former Vice – President said that in 2019 , Nigerians would choose between what he called a lifeless candidate and a job provider .

He said , “ The choice before Nigerians in 2019 is a simple one . Nigerians have a choice of electing a lively candidate with a record of providing 50 , 000 jobs to Nigerians in his private capacity versus the lifelessness ( apologies to President Donald Trump ) of a candidate under whom Nigeria lost 11 million jobs and became the world headquarters for extreme poverty .

“ Nigerians have a choice of a man who will provide an efficient and business -friendly solution to the herdsmen crisis and a man whose government said ‘ giving land for cattle ranching is better than death . ’

“ It is very obvious that faced with such a choice , Nigerians would definitely vote for the man who will Get Nigeria Working Again , hence we are not surprised by this desperate statement from the Buhari administration that is so shameless that they made a man implicated in framing a man of God on spurious charges as their spokesman .

“ If he can lie against a man of God , should Nigerians believe anything he says about the PDP and its candidate ? “