• Atiku should quit the race – Keyamo
• Atiku is a great disuniter – Charly Boy
• Atiku’s statement is a decisive attack on our national unity – APC, publicity secretary
‘Seun Ibukun-Oni, Abuja
DAILY COURIER – The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has come under fire on social media for saying that northerners don’t need a Yoruba or Igbo candidate in 2023.
Abubakar at an interactive session with the Arewa Joint Committee on Saturday said, “I have traversed the whole of this country. I know the whole of this country. I have built bridges across the whole of this country. I think what the northerners need is someone who is from the north and also understands the other parts of Nigeria, who has built bridges across the country. This is what a northerner needs. He doesn’t need a Yoruba candidate or an Igbo candidate.”
His comment has been met with criticism on social media, with many slamming him for canvassing for votes along ethnic lines while claiming to be a “unifier.”
A tweep, Dr Hafsatu Danladi, lashed out at Atiku saying, “Nigerians from North to South must reject Atiku Abubakar. We all must unite to save Nigeria from politicians who are willing to destroy us for their selfish political gains.
“Buhari is a Northerner. The North don’t need a Northerner, the North needs a competent leader.”
Another tweep, Chris, said, “Atiku is playing tribal card in the North then playing the “Unifier” card in the South.”
For Festus Keyamo, the presidential campaign spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress, Atiku should quit the race already over his comment.
Keyamo tweeted “This is the height of desperation & daredevilry on the part of Atiku! This is so horrendous, so horrible & so thoughtless for Atiku Abubakar to use ethnicity to campaign, saying the North does not need a YORUBA OR IBO candidate? My God! Atiku needs to quit the race TODAY!”
The National Publicity Secretary of APC, Barr. Felix Morka noted that “Atiku’s statement is a decisive attack on our national unity. It is beyond the pale for a senior citizen and a former Vice President of the Federal Republic to so brazenly instigate strife and disunity in our country in pursuit of his befuddled political self interest.
“But it is not surprising coming from a desperate and serial failed Candidate for the office of President.”
Morka questioned the rationale behind his desperate utterance saying, “If, as Atiku believes, the average Northerner needs a Northern President now, after a Northern President, when will they ever not need a Northern President? What does Atiku think the average Southerner needs? Why is it about what the average Northerner needs, or even what the average Southerner may need? Why is it not about what Nigeria and Nigerians need? Nigerians need bold and visionary leadership anchored on a firm commitment to transcendental national unity, over and above ethnic or sectional obsessions.”
He submitted that Atiku is on a desperate voyage which is deemed to fail like his previous attempt at the plum office.
“Atiku’s words ring loud of extreme and mindless desperation, and such an extremely desperate man cannot and must not be entrusted with the most important job of President – a job which core duty is that of leading, uniting and working in the best interest of all in an ethno-religious pluralistic society as Nigeria. Our country does not need this kind of highly inflammable rhetoric now or ever.
“What is even more confounding is that this Presidential Candidate of the PDP has touted himself to be on a mission to unify Nigeria. The cat has finally been let out of the bag of him that pays lip service to unity while working hard to undermine our national unity. Our Northern citizens and patriots know far better than what Atiku thinks, and will not walk down that slippery slope with him.
“Evidently, Atiku seeks to inflict on Nigeria discord and strife of a worse kind than he has inflicted on his PDP. Against the dictates of his party’s constitution on the principle of power rotation between and North and South of Nigeria, Atiku wrested Presidential Candidacy and left his party in fractious disability.”
He concluded by contrasting Atiku with the APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu which he referred to as a de-tribalized leader.
“In direct contrast to Atiku’s schismatic tendency, our Northern Progressive APC Governors stood valiantly in support of the emergence of a Southern Presidential Candidate of our Party in demonstration of patriotic commitment to national unity, equity and fairness. That is what Nigeria needs, now and ever.
“And that is the commitment that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our Presidential Candidate brings in his aspiration to serve as President. As Governor of Lagos State, his executive cabinet was a rare and admirable reflection of ethnic and religious diversity. We are confident he will enthrone equity, fairness, inclusion, and unity as operating national policy when elected as President in next year’s general election, as we urge Nigerians to do.”
Atiku is a great disuniter – Charly Boy
Charles Oputa, aka Charly Boy, has stated that the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, is a great disuniter.
Abubakar had stated on Saturday, that Northerners should vote for a Northern candidate and disregard any candidate coming from the South.
Charly Boy took to Instagram on Sunday, to slam the presidential candidate for his utterance.
According to him, Abubakar used to call himself a unifier, but he is the greatest disuniter for urging people not to support Igbo or Yoruba.
He labelled him an ethnic bigot.
“Atiku Abubakar the great disuniter, I no know sey you bad like this, telling our Northern brothers not to support any Igbo or Yoruba candidate?
“The reason you are running is because you’re a Northerner and you are born to rule.
“So you’re ethnically bigoted. Shame on U.
“Baba OBJ don warn us about U and we hear him loud and clear. May you fail for the 10th time as usual, Nonsense”, he wrote.
For tweep, Emmy King, Atiku’s comment is no surprise. He said, “Please don’t get it twisted. Atiku is married to women from different tribes of Nigeria. That is what he means when he calls himself, a unifier. Know this and know peace.”
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