By Ayo Yusuf
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, said he will only drop his fight with President Bola Tinubu if the Supreme Court rules in the President’s favour.
The former vice president also called on both the presidential candidates of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and his counterpart in the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso to join him in deepening democratic principles in the polity.
“In particular, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso of NNPP, leaders of political parties in Nigeria, and every single person who loves this country as I do, and who wishes nothing but the best for this country to join me in this campaign to enshrine accountability, and the basic principles of justice, morality, and uprightness in our country and in our government,” he said.
Alhaji Atiku made the comments at a press conference he called to address the issue of President Tinubu’s academic records released by the Chicago State University (CSU), in Abuja on Thursday.
When asked if he would ever step down the legal battle against President Tinubu, Atiku replied, “The case is still in court. I’ll only drop this fight if the court rules. If the court rules that I’m right, fine, if the court rules that Tinubu is right, fine.
There’s no other court higher than the Supreme Court. That is where it all ends.”
The former Vice President denied allegations that he betrayed President Tinubu, who many see as his former political ally.
His words, “I disagree with Tinubu, yes it’s true that we came together in 2007. In Lagos, at the convention, I emerged the winner and got the party’s ticket. After I got the ticket, he sent me about five or six senior party men, and they met me and said Bola (Tinubu) wanted to be my running mate.
“I said, gentlemen, you are all old enough, and asked, what would be your reaction to having a Muslim-Muslim ticket?
“They all answered that they objected to it, I then told them they should have told him and that was the end of the political relationship; he (Tinubu) broke away, and supported Umaru Yar’Adua. So what is the ground for him to say I betrayed him?
“In 2003, the PDP took over all the southwestern states with the exception of Lagos. I stood between Obasanjo and Tinubu and told Obasanjo to leave Lagos, and he left it. I vehemently deny that I stabbed Tinubu in the back.
“Till today, I won’t do a Muslim-Muslim ticket; I don’t have to be president; we are a multi-ethnic and multi-religious people, and our government must reflect our diversity, and our composition must reflect the same.”
Speaking further, Alhaji Atiku who said he was not fighting for himself but for the country called for support from well meaning Nigerians.
“This quest is not for or about Atiku Abubakar; it’s a quest for the enthronement of truth, morality, justice, and accountability in our public affairs,” Atiku said.
“In line with this, let me call on all well-meaning Nigerians, leaders of thought, religious, traditional, community, and political leaders.
“In particular, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso of NNPP, leaders of political parties in Nigeria, and every single person who loves this country as I do, and who wishes nothing but the best for this country to join me in this campaign to enshrine accountability, and the basic principles of justice, morality, and uprightness in our country and in our government.”
It would be recalled that the PDP presidential candidate recently secured the release of President Tinubu’s education records from the CSU through a court subpoena, against the wishes of the President.
The released records showed that the President’s 1979 CSU certificate he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was different from samples of the certificates the University issued to students that same year.
Under oath, CSU Registrar said he could not authenticate the certificate Tinubu presented to INEC, a development that has generated reactions among Nigerians.
