A group under the aegis of Amalgamated Atiku Support Group (AASG) has said that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is the most adequately prepared and experienced politician in Nigeria to confront and rescue power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023.
The National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Oladimeji Fabiyi in a statement issued Friday, however condemned a recent statement credited to a group that suggested that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should not field Atiku as a presidential candidate in 2023.
He said the anonymous group has launched a sustained media campaign against Atiku, but stressed that no group should have the right to tell the PDP who to select as its presidential candidate.
The group stated: “This anti-Atiku group is ignorant of the dynamics of our politics and recent election trends. Atiku is the most adequately prepared and experienced political candidate in Nigeria to confront the APC.”
Fabiyi said that in the group’s recent statement, it argued that Atiku should be disqualified on the grounds that he is too old to run and that the PDP didn’t win in 2019 because the former Vice President was not popular with Nigerians.
He added: “This logic is a tissue of nonsense. If the authors of the anti-Atiku campaign knew what they were talking about, they should not have brought up the age issue. President Joe Biden is 78 and Speaker Nancy Pelosi is 81 and she is one of the strongest and most effective lawmakers ever elected in the United States.”
Fabiyi said Nigerians are currently facing their worst economic nightmare; insecurity is getting worse as schools are closed down because of constant attacks by bandits; food prices are so expensive that survival is becoming a serious challenge for most ordinary Nigerians.
He lamented that Nigerians have been forced into prayers because APC leaders have run out of ideas, while Nigeria’s unity is currently facing its severest crisis, adding that the country is so badly divided that Nigerians are losing interest in their own country.
Fabiyi said in the face of these challenges, Atiku is the only politician adequately prepared to rescue the country.
According to him, He is not a provincial politician; is a bridge builder; he doesn’t believe the winner takes all; he is broadminded. Atiku’s greatest asset is his unifying vision and even his worst enemy cannot deny this fact.
“Running Nigeria is not like running a local government. Atiku understands Nigeria’s ethnic and religious diversity, which is an essential ingredient for leadership. He understands Nigeria; he is a good listener; he is a unifier. The future of Nigeria is at stake. We need a man of Atiku’s experience because he has the ability to heal wounds and rebuild the country’s badly compromised unity.
“The debate on the 2023 election should be based on issues. Atiku’s priority has always been the economy, security, infrastructure, efficient social services, unity and inclusive government. His role as former Vice President was a testimony of his experience and competence to handle complex issues and responsibilities. His record speaks volumes about his experience.”
