Former Vice President and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar has called on the party’s members and leaders to rally behind the presidency of Muhammadu Buhari in his onerous task of rebuilding Nigeria.
Atiku, in a statement, released by his media office, dismmissed allegations he had hijacked the party as the figment of the mind of the people behind it.
The emergence of Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara as Senate President and Speaker House of Representatives respectively has not gone down well for leadership of the APC who had annoined Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamilla fo the posts.
The former vice president said it is dangerous for any individual or group in the ranks of the ruling party to constitute themselves into an opposition even before the constitution and take off of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
Describing the developments in the polity as interplay of forces and interests that are dynamic, the Turaki Adamawa cautioned however that the interests must not be promoted to the point of being a threat to our democracy and the new administration.
For him, it is legitimate and desirable for individuals or groups to pursue their interest, it must be done with the benefit of sustaining our democracy and promoting equity, fair play and justice in mind.
“Anything to the contrary may jeopardise our hard-earned democracy and constitute a clog in the wheel of the new administration,” Atiku said.
The former Vice President emphasized the need for everybody to rally round Buhari because of the historic nature of his mandate and the arduous challenges ahead to deliver on making Nigeria work for all Nigerians.
He enjoined the members of the APC to emulate the unity of all the presidential contestants after the party’s Lagos primaries and support the President to form his government and get to work.
Atiku pooh-poohed his purported hijack of the party and the National Assembly towards 2019 as figment of the imagination of those promoting it and asked Nigerians to ignore all such insinuation.
He noted that the recent outcomes of the National Assembly election contrary to insinuations are products of interplay of politics which is itself in constant motion.
“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,” Atiku said.
The Turaki Adamawa while restating his unalloyed commitment to the Buhari administration pledged to back this commitment with all of the assets at his disposal.
“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.”
The APC chieftain also called on Nigerians, especially members of the President’s own party taking a lead in their undiluted support of his administration.
“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.”
Atiku Abubakar denounced the increasing determination of some people to draw a wedge between President Buhari and himself.
“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.”
