Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar has warned that the reputation of the country is at stake unless justice is delivered in the case of alleged forged certificates submitted by President Bola Tinubu to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Addressing a world press conference in Abuja, Abubakar also rallied Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)’s Rabiu Kwankwaso to join his quest to uphold the ground rules for contesting elections in the country.
“Let me call on all well-meaning Nigerians, leaders of thoughts, our religious, traditional, community and political leaders and in particular, Governor Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of the NNPP and the leaders of every political party in Nigeria and indeed every single person who loves this country as I do and who wishes nothing but the best for this country as I do, to join me in this campaign to enshrine probity, accountability and the basic principles of justice, morality, and uprightness in our country and in our government. This is a task for every one of us,” he said during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.
The former Vice President recently received copies of Tinubu’s academic from Chicago State University to aid his appeal at the Supreme Court against the declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the disputed 2023 presidential election.
I Never Betrayed Tinubu, He Owes Me – Atiku
Abubakar also dismissed insinuations that he had stabbed Tinubu, who was once considered his friend at the back through his actions.
Atiku said; “Yes, it is true that in 2007 we came together to form an alliance in Lagos, and at the convention, I contested and got the ticket. After I got the ticket, he sent about 5 or 6 seniors – some of them are here – I can even name them but I don’t want to embarrass them.
“They met me and said to me that Bola wanted to be my running mate. I said to them, gentlemen, you’re all old enough, and apparently, virtually all of you are Christians’ with the exception of one person. What will be your reaction to having a Muslim-Muslim ticket?
“All of them said we totally objected to it and I said why didn’t you tell him when he was giving you the message that look Mr Tinubu, the message you’re sending us, we don’t seem to agree with you on it (Muslim-Muslim ticket). Why are you coming then to me? And that was the end of our political relationship. We broke away, so what is the ground for him to say that I betrayed him?
“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.”
He also said he aided Tinubu to retain control of Lagos when other South West States were captured by the Peoples Democratic Party in 2003.
