Nigeria’s former Vice President and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Atiku Abubakar has raised an alarm over plans by some members of the party to create animosity between himself and President Muhammadu Buhari, in a move he said is aimed at hijacking the new government.
Speaking via a statement issued on Sunday, June 21, 2015 by Mazi Paul Ibe of his media office, Atiku said some people are trying to make him the “fall guy” under the pretext of loving President Buhari more than anyone else.
He used the opportunity to re-affirm his loyalty to President Buhari.
The statement read in parts: “In politics, it is a mistake to expect fixed outcomes. As the President has done, let’s all come to terms with what has happened in the interest of the system and move on.
Suffice it to say that the new administration should be allowed a smooth take off and be allowed the atmosphere to deliver. On this, I stand with President Buhari.
“Not only did Atiku Abubakar congratulate Buhari after his emergence as the presidential candidate of the APC at the party’s national convention in Lagos, he also handed over his best assets to the Buhari Presidential Campaign. The former Vice President enthusiastically handled the diplomatic assignment of seeking endorsement for Dr. Adesina as the President of the African Development Bank on behalf of President Buhari and would be available for any other assignments as the President pleases.
“Make no mistake about it Atiku Abubakar holds Buhari in the highest esteem, and would always remain loyal to him, and support him in every endeavour to succeed as president.
“We, the members of the President’s own family need to lead in this direction for others to follow for the good of our nation and its peoples.
“It has become crystal clear even to the blind that the motives of these hatchet men who are desperate to take every available newspaper space is to insult, vilify and calumniate the former Vice President.
“We cannot allow liars, denigrators and blackmailers and their sponsors to use Atiku as platform to ingratiate themselves with President Buhari and hijack his presidency under the pretext of loving him more than anyone else. These political ventriloquists are hiding behind the cover of anonymity to achieve their sinister agenda of making Atiku the fall guy in the unfolding political developments.”
