By Jude Opara, Abuja

The All Progressives Congress(APC) and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party Atiku Abubakar, were embroiled in a war of words yesterday, over comments purportedly made by the former Vice President in Kaduna at the weekend.

Atiku had moved his campaign a step further weekend at a meeting with Northern political leaders, where he declared that national inclusivity and not ethnicity should define support for any presidential candidate in the forth coming elections.

The former Vice President spoke in Kaduna, where he featured as a guest of the Arewa Joint Committee interactive sessions with various presidential candidates of political parties on Saturday in Kaduna.

In a separate meeting with the Ulama and the Clergy also in Kaduna, Atiku called on  religious leaders in the country to intensify prayers and seek divine solution to the myriads of challenges facing the nation.

Referencing his political career that he claimed spanned more than three decades, Atiku said he stood shoulder high as a Northerner who has built bridges of unity across the country.

“I have been in politics for more than three decades and I am a Northerner. So, if you ask me why I am the best candidate to lead Nigeria in 2023, I will simply say that what Nigeria needs is a pan-Nigerian president, not whether he is Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa-Fulani” Atiku was quoted to have said in a statement by his media office.

The session, held at the Arewa House had in  attendance,  high ranking leaders of various North socio-cultural bodies from the three geo-political zones of the North.

The Presidential candidate highlighted  key policy issues, which he said would be vigorously  pursued if was elected president to include promoting national unity through deliberate actions that will secure mutual trust and confidence amongst all tendencies.

He also pledged comprehensive reforms critical sectors like in education, agriculture and pledged to  reverse the economic downturn of the country.

Atiku Pays Lip Service to National Unity – APC Campaign Council-APC

In reaction to Atiku’s comments however, the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2023 Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) said  Alhaji Atiku Abubakar,  was only paying lip service to national unity.

 Director, Media and Publicity of the council, Bayo Onanuga stated on Sunday in Abuja that Abubakar had resorted to ethnic jingo in the face of imminent defeat at the 2023 election.

He stated that Abubakar’s recent statement to the effect that northern Nigerians did not need a Yoruba or Igbo president was the worst expression of ethnocentric opportunism ever uttered by a former vice-president.

“This clearly demonstrates how low a man once honoured with the second highest office is willing to sink in search of a perennial wild goose chase after the highest office in the land.

“It confirms that Abubakar feasted on such base, cheap primordial sentiments to use the masses and northern elites as ladder to ascend to power in 1999 without any dividends to show,’’ Onanuga said in a statement in Abuja.

Onanuga argued that with the statement, Abubakar had cast himself as a northern candidate that should solely be supported by the people from his region.

He stressed that Abubakar’s public declaration which framed him as an ethnic and regional champion was unbecoming of a man who was once a former vice-president of Nigeria.

 “He has himself and not anybody else to blame for his expected electoral misfortune. First, he broke the fundamental rules of power rotation in his party and in the country.

 “The Nigerian public now knows better that a man who has been campaigning as a so-called unifier of our disparate groups is a tribal jingoist.

“He has now totally eviscerated all pretensions to being a detribalised Nigerian. He is demonstrably the anti-thesis of a pan-Nigerian politician,’’ Onanuga stressed.

He added that Nigerians of goodwill, who daily sought a united and prosperous nation, should reject Abubakar and his party at the polls in February 2023.

“Abubakar only pays lip service to national unity in spite of the fact that it features as one of the five cardinal points of his so-called covenant with Nigerians.

Tinubu’s Presidential Ambition, Rude        Attack on Integrity-PDP

The  camp of PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar has said It was regrettable that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would decide to cause a show of shame by a disingenuous attempt to turn fact on its head about what its Principal, Atiku Abubakar said during a public engagement at the Arewa House on Saturday.

“For the benefit of the innocent public who might be hoodwinked by the usual behavior of APC in telling a big lie, what transpired was a direct question to Atiku to address the Northern audience on why he should be voted for by the Northern electorate. 

“In answering this question, Atiku started with a joke by addressing the questioner as ‘Mr. Northerner’ which is a veiled criticism of why he limited his question to the Northern audience in the first place.

Continuing, Atiku explained without a slur, unlike the APC candidate would, that what matters the most to the Northern electorate is a candidate who has built bridges of unity across other parts of the country and not necessarily a Northern candidate who lacks the credentials of national spread and acceptability,” Atiku’s Spokesperson, Paul Ibe said in a statement last night in Abuja. 

The PDP presidential candidate accused the APC  resorting to “dubious tactics of diverting public attention away  what it called the failures of their party in the past seven years  and the embarrassing gaffes of their presidential candidate in his public communication, which they frequently shy away from.

“Of course, a failed political party and a presidential candidate who cannot withstand five minutes of unscripted speech would not have anything tangible to talk about other than to resort to irritating scavenging like they have done in this case.

“On the same day when Atiku Abubakar stood agile and cerebral before his hosts at the Arewa House, the APC candidate, whose only entitlement for president is because of an ethnic identity claim was also at a public function in Kaduna State and publicly embarrassed his host, Governor Nasir el-Rufai, by saying that he should not contemplate pursuing higher educational qualifications and likening him to ‘a rotten case that has turned into a bad situation.’

“Are we to play to the gallery, we could have rushed to the press to make a bad case for such rotten remarks. We did not because we know that the upcoming election is not about scoring cheap political gains, but about ensuring that Nigerians have a fair deal in the next president that they will be electing.

The very ambition of former governor Tinubu to aspire to become the Nigerian leader is a rude attack on the integrity of every Black country and certainly an act of disgrace to all Nigerians,” the Atiku Media office said in the statement.

Former  Vice President Seeks Prayers, Spiritua Intervention to Nation’s Woes

The PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has urged religious leaders in the country to intensify prayers and seek divine solution to the myriads of challenges and problems facing the nation.
The former Vice President made the call when he met the Ulama and the  clergy in Kaduna.

During an Interactive session organized by the PDP Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) in conjunction with the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN), the Northern Islamic Youth Scholars and Imams as well as Leaders of Women In Daawah on Sunday in Kaduna, the PDP presidential candidate observed  that wherever the freedom of religion, peace and stability were under threat, development and good governance would remain far-fetched.

According to him, the prevailing situation of insecurity, poverty and economic doldrums in Nigeria “affects all facets of life and engender general underdevelopment.”

“Even if there is good governance whereas people are not free to profess and practice their religion, enjoy peaceful coexistence in a rancour free and progressive atmosphere, then the country will continue to retrogress.

“This is the reason why the Ulama, the Clergy and all Nigerians should pray for divine intervention so that there will be good leadership that would engender overall national development beneficial to all,” Atiku said at the Forum attended by PDP Stalwarts including

former Vice President, Arc. Muhammad Namadi Sambo, PDP National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, his deputy in charge of the North, Umar Ilyasu Damagum, the Vice Presidential Candidate and Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa.
Also at the event were the  former Governors of Cross River, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi and Niger states: Sen. Liyel Imoke,, Alhaji Sule Lamido,, Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Shema,, Sen. Adamu Aliero and: Alhaji Muazu Babangida Aliyu respectively.

Two former Governors of Kaduna state, Alhaji Ahmad Muhammad Makarfi and Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero were in attendance.

In his remarks, the Director General of the PPCO and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal described Atiku as a statesman with sterling leadership qualities and explained that the gatherings were to seek the blessings of the Ulama and the Clergy for success at the polls.

While urging the religious Leaders in the country to continue praying for peace, Governor Tambuwal rationalized the decision of the party to appoint a Christian southerner, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as Atiku’s running mate.

“We all know that the need for inclusiveness, justice and fairness cannot be overemphasized, thus the reason the PDP selected Governor  Okowa to be the running mate of our presidential candidate”, Tambuwal was quoted to have explained in a statement by his Media Aide, Mohammed Bello.

In his speech, the leader of the SCSN, Sheikh Sambo Rigachikun raised issues about agricultural development, insecurity, unemployment and volatility in the nation’s foreign exchange as areas where future leadership of the country should focus its attention.

He also harped on the need for any government that will be elected to prioritize speedy appointment of qualified persons as Ministers of the  central governemnt.

In the same vein, Sheikh Umar as-Sudani who appealed to the Ulama to be honest and God fearing in supporting candidates, noted that as “apolitical stakeholders, the Ulama has veritable roles to play in the emergence of leaders, freedom of religion and the establishment  of proscriptive norms and laws that will deter commitment of vices in line with Islamic teachings.”

He also pointed out that the Ulama, whose opinions and support was often sought during electioneering campaigns were neglected in the scheme of things after victories. He, therefore, sought for inclusion of the Ulama in future administrations.

Former Governor of Kano state, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, who also spoke at the Forum justified the meeting saying it was in line with Islamic injunction, which prescribes that man should strive and pray for their ambitions to be realized.

“The message of the candidate is in tandem with this injunction. We will go out and campaign vigorously as we also ask of you to pray, advise and offer constructive criticisms to us until we achieve what we seek, God willing.

“We’re asking God to make it possible for Atiku to be President. If he doesn’t become, may Allah replace the setback with what is better for him and the county at large. May Allah continue to bless our country and make it safe for all of us,”  Shekarau, a former Minister of Education stated.

Kaduna state gubernatorial candidate of the PDP, Hon. Isa Ashiru Kudan commended Atiku and the PDP for organizing the event in Kaduna and assured delegates that the presidential candidate will take seriously the germane issues raised by the Ulama and the Clergy..