By Kolawole Ojebisi
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and a former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has alleged that an electoral heist of unimaginable proportion happened during the 2023 presidential election.
Atiku maintained that he didn’t lose the 2023 election; rather, it was “criminally stolen.”
The former Vice-President also accused the current administration for lacking coherent policies to take the country out of the woods, a situation he attributed to lack of preparation on the part of President Bola Tinubu.
Atiku also noted that the “excruciating pain” suffered by citizens is due to what he described as “trial-and-error economic policies” implemented by the Tinubu-led administration.
Atiku stated this in a series of posts he made on his official X account on Monday in response to an earlier criticism targeted at him by the presidency.
The Presidency had earlier criticized Atiku’s alternative solutions to the problems plaguing the Nigeria, stressing that the ideas are untested and unviable.
However, in his latest post on Monday, Atiku alleged that he was robbed of victory in the last presidential election. He stated: “Let me emphasise that the citizens who cast their votes in the 2023 presidential election are well aware that I did not lose; rather, we find ourselves in this predicament because the election was criminally stolen from the Nigerian people.”
Abubakar lamented that Nigerians are currently in a state of economic “turmoil,” as the president’s ascension to power was devoid of a “coherent plan.”
The tweet read in part: “I have taken note of the initial responses highlighting the striking disparity between President Tinubu’s faltering economic policies and the alternatives I have proposed. It is exciting to witness such a vigorous debate on these critical matters, and I sincerely hope that this discourse will ultimately benefit Nigeria and its citizens.
“Like many fellow Nigerians, I firmly believe that we find ourselves in this current economic turmoil due to the Tinubu administration’s hasty ascent to power, devoid of a coherent plan. In stark contrast, my team not only devised a comprehensive recovery plan but also welcomed significant input from Nigerians, ensuring that our approach was inclusive and well-considered.
“Isn’t it fascinating how the so-called ‘tested’ Tinubu administration’s only policy response seems to be a national prayer led by the First Lady and the NSA? Just a mere 24 hours after I proposed my alternative solutions! What a bold strategy! In my humble interpretation of the scriptures, prayer indeed serves as a noble path to follow. However, the sacred texts also counsel us to engage in diligent labour and hard work.
“It is, therefore, uncharitable for Tinubu’s team to claim that my proposals remain untested. What remains unproven is the erratic, trial-and-error nature of the policies so far implemented by this administration, which elucidates our present predicament.”
The former Vice President, who had an eight-year stint in office and served alongside former President Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007, recalled that during their first term, the country’s economy witnessed significant growth.
He added that the Gross Domestic Product under the Obasanjo administration rose from 6.59% to 15% in 2002.
It would be recalled that Tinubu won the 2023 presidential election, by defeating Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and the then Labour Party Presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi.
