The Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has described the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, as a pathological liar and desperate to be Nigeria’s president, saying that he actually offered him the vice presidential ticket in 2007.
The reaction is contained in a statement signed by Tunde Rahman on behalf of Tinubu Media Office on Saturday as counterclaims to the statement made by Atiku during an interview with respect to the Muslim-Muslim ticket that has been a burning topic across the country at the moment.
Atiku had in an explanation of what transpired between himself and Tinubu in a build-up to the 2007 presidential election, claimed that he refused to pick the APC flagbearer as his running mate because of his opposition to fielding a Muslim-Muslim ticket in the interest of the country’s unity.
However, Tinubu who would have none of that, in a response through his media aide, accused Abubakar of demeaning himself by pandering to base prejudice at a moment Nigeria needs true leadership and rendering any form of untruth if he thinks it might gain him a single vote.
The APC presidential candidate slammed Atiku saying that the love he has for his own ambition has eclipsed his relationship with the truth and an honest account of the past.
What Tinubu is saying
The statement titled, ’Atiku demeans himself, he seeks office by pandering to base prejudice at a moment Nigeria needs true leadership’ partly reads, ‘’All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, says all Nigerians should feel great pity and sadness for the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar”.
‘’In his desperate attempt to win the election by stoking religious bias, Atiku has reduced himself to uttering baseless lies on national television.
“We are saddened to see such a man become unhinged from the truth. So obsessed is he with his quest for office, Atiku is willing to render any form of untruth if he thinks it might gain him a single vote. Atiku may want to be president. However, all he has shown is that he is pathological.
“Whatever moral compass he had has been lost. During a July 22nd television interview, Atiku assaulted historic truth by lying that he did not name Tinubu as his running mate in 2007 on the Action Congress ticket because Atiku did not want a Muslim as his running mate.”
Tinubu explained that contrary to Abubakar’s position, he and the then Action Congress of Nigeria had helped him out in 2007 after he was frozen out by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and forced out of the PDP.
He said, “I feel sorry for dear old Atiku. Love of his own ambition has eclipsed his relationship with the truth and an honest account of the past. We formed the AC without his knowledge. When President Obasanjo virtually exiled him from the PDP, we lent him our support by giving him the AC platform for the 2007 election.
“Let me say openly that Atiku offered me the vice presidential ticket in 2007. Let me also say that my religion has not changed. When he offered the position to me, I was a Muslim and I believe he was aware of my religious faith at the time.
“Atiku’s calculations and deceit had nothing to do with religion or his sensitivity to it. His conduct has everything to do with what we discovered about his paucity of character and love of intrigue.
“True to form, Atiku, fifteen years later, promised HE Governor Nyesom Wike the same thing this electoral season and similarly reneged. Governor Wike is a Christian.
“When it comes to intrigue, we can say that Atiku is without bias. He will attempt to lie and deceive both Christians and Muslims with equal vigour.’’
What you should know
- Recall that during a pre-recorded interview on an Arise Television programme, The Morning Show on Friday, Atiku had claimed that he rejected Tinubu as his running mate in 2007 because he is opposed to fielding a Muslim-Muslim ticket in the interest of the country’s unity.
- Atiku said, “My fundamental disagreement and political departure with Asiwaju [Tinubu] since 2007 was due to the Muslim-Muslim ticket. Remember, I opted out of PDP because of zoning, and together with Asiwaju we formed CAN.
- “Tinubu wanted to be my running mate when I was given the ACN presidential ticket in 2007, but I disagreed. And because of that, he switched his support to the late Umar Yaradua. That was the parting point.”