The Nation Newspaper

Tag: atiku

  • Nigerians are disappointed, frustrated -Atiku

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that Nigerians are disappointed and frustrated as a result of failure by the present administration to deliver on its change agenda.

    Atiku, who stated this on Thursday during the inauguration of his Presidential Nomination Council, said Nigerians are once more increasingly being sidelined and neglected in the scheme of things.

    “Their welfare is being ignored, we are once more sliding towards dictatorship as government chooses which court order to obey, which to ignore and who is bound by the law and who is above the law”, he declared.

    Promising to use his position to restore true democracy and get the country working again, the former Vice President said the struggle for nation renewal is usually a difficult task.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant however said national renewal was a task that patriots most engage in if they want to improve the lives of their fellow compatriots.

    Continuing, Atiku said, “The change that Nigerians were promised during the last presidential election has not been delivered. And our people are rightly disappointed and frustrated.

    “Nigerians are yearning for jobs, for opportunities, unity and for security. We must work with them to achieve this. We must also ensure truth in politics, justice and fairness in governance.

    “And a genuine federal system that will help us address local priorities and run a more effective and efficient government”.

    Addressing his supporters and followers, made of many prominent chieftains of the PDP, Atiku said there was a lot of work to do to bring the country out of the woods.

    “Let us campaign hard. Let us explain to our party and our people what is at stake in the forthcoming primaries and presidential election to follow.

    “Let our party and Nigerians know my programme on how to make Nigeria work again, improve our people’s quality of life.
    Come to think of it, our people are not asking for too much, all they asked for are universal human rights, the right to security, good education, jobs and to have effective and accountable governance.

    “We must all work hard to ensure that our primary election is transparent. If as I expect we win the primary this council will be expanded into a standard campaign council in order to mobilise our people, to win their support and ensure that they vote and to protect those votes”.

  • Atiku raises the alarm over alleged threat to life

    Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has raised the alarm over alleged threat to his life and those of his family members.

    In a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari, dated September 7, 2018, Atiku linked the alleged threat to his decision to contest next year’s presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The petition, a copy of which was sent to PDP’s National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus, urged President Buhari to urgently probe the allegation

    The petition was titled: “Petition over criminal intimidation and threat to my life; that of members of my family, and cyber stalking using mobile phone number 08148228704”.

    Atiku requested more police protection for himself and members of his family from the President.

    He stated in the petition that his wife and daughters had received separate text messages from a mobile line, demanding that their patriarch backed out of the presidential race, failing which they would be raped and killed.

    The former vice president added that the author of the threat text messages had stated that members of his family were being closely watched.

    Urging the President to urgently order an investigation into the matter, Atiku warned that the threat could lead to serious security breach and that it posed real danger to national security.

    The petition reads in part: “I present my highest compliments to the president and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and have the honour to request your excellency’s kind review/investigation and urgent consideration of extra protection for my family and I against some criminal intimidation and threat to my life, that of my family, and the cyber stalking against my family and I, using telephone mobile number +2348148228704″.

    Atiku in the petition, said the author of the message had threatened that if he did not withdraw from the presidential contest, “we will kill, rape your wife and daughters”.

    He added that the stalker had mentioned two of his daughters – Mariam who works at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Fatima, a former commissioner in Adamawa State.

    According to him, the author of the said threat message had also threatened to blow up his plane and poison him and members of his family.

    “We will blow your plane off the sky and we will poison you and your family. You are going to see what we will do with your family. We know where and where your children travel to”, he quoted the from the threat message.

    The author of the said message was also said to have threatened to blow up all his property and those of his wife.

    “We control the aviation towers in Nigeria and South Africa. We are in government and Buhari will win again. Your party members will never select you and if they do, we will assassinat (sic) you. We will kill you by blowing up your plane”, the threat message further stated.

    Atiku further stated that in separate text messages to his wife and daughters, the author had asked them to ask him to back down from the contest or they would be harmed.

    Concluding the petition, Atiku stated: “From the foregoing, Mr. President can see that if adequate and urgent steps are not taken to identify and deal with these threats, they could lead to serious breaches and may constitute real danger to national security.

    “Considering that these threats border on the right to life of my family and I, as well as my freedom to aspire for and contest for the Presidency in Nigeria, I urge you to commence urgent investigation with a view to identifying the person(s) behind the threats, expose and prosecute the culprit(s) in accordance with the laws.

    “I request that you ensure the continued protection of my rights to life, that of my family, my property and my rights and freedoms to associate and aspire to any political office as guaranteed under the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended)”.

     

  • Buhari hiding under democracy to hold on to power – Atiku

    Former vice presidential and Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has expressed reservations over President Muhammadu Buhari’s willingness to hand over to any other person, come 2019.

    Atiku however said that should the candidate of the PDP win the presidential election, Pesident Buhari would be forced to do the needful, by respecting the will of the people.

    He said that his fears were borne out of the response credited to President Buhari, back in 1984, ‘that his then military government has no plan for transition to civil rule’.

    The former vice president stated this on Thursday in Lokoja, Kogi State, during his campaign train to meet with the delegates of his party from Kogi.

    He said that the APC-led government of President Muhammadu Buhari lack the capacity to wriggle the country out of economic downturn.

    He described he president’s knowledge of the economy as archaic and lacking in ability to respond to the present realities.

    He said that if elected, he will work assiduously to revamp the economy through giving incentives to both local and foreign investors.

    He lamented the state of the present economy, which according to him, has worsened the livelihood of Nigerians.

    He said that as part of his strategy for economic recovery, he will accelerate massive investment in rail and water transportation.

    Read Also: Why President Buhari must be re-elected, by Borno APC aspirant

    According to him: “If we must rebuild Nigeria, we must give priority to rail transportation. It will keep articulated vehicles off our roads, which will enable them to last longer and remove all the potholes dotting our roads across the country.

    “God has endowed us with the abundance of waterways, but we could not maximise them. In those days, while I was growing up, we used to have steamers all the way from Lagos through Lokoja, up to the far north of Adamawa State. We have not been maintaining them. If we come on board, we will definitely open them up, so that we can also have efficient water transportation.

    On the perceived enmity between him and his former boss, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, he said there was no serious issues between them, just as he promised to present his nomination form for blessings.

  • Atiku: restructuring should be in phases

    Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) is ignorant of his plan to restructure Nigeria.

    Atiku, a presidential aspirant in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who spoke yesterday in Kano, said: “What  l am advocating is that restructuring should be carried out in phases, rather than being total, because power at the centre is too heavy. It should be reduced.

    “I think APC must be very ignorant, because my position on the issue of restructuring dates back to the report of constitutional restructuring of 1994. If you check the report, you will find my contributions, as far as restructuring is concerned.”

    He described his idea about restructuring as slimming down the Federal Government, while the bulk of responsibilities are shouldered by the geopolitical zones or the states closer to the people.

    “By restructuring, I mean devolving power to the states or geopolitical zones as the case may be, so that they can assume greater responsibilities in their respective states or zones.

    “At the moment, the Federal Government has too much on its plate and it is not able to pay attention to all parts of the country. My belief is that by devolving more power to those states or regions, they are closer to the people, particularly in areas such as education, health, infrastructure and so on. I want to see a lean Federal Government, a small Federal Government,” Atiku said.

    He explained that by restructuring, the functions of the Federal Government would be limited to defence, immigration, currency and the Central Bank of Nigeria.

    “A small Federal Government will deal with matters such as defence, foreign affairs, currency, Central Bank of Nigeria and immigration.

    “On why l’m advocating restructuring, it will deal with a lot of problems, including insecurity. It will solve the problems affecting economic development, which every part of the country is complaining of.

    “So, if we give you more power and resources to develop your states, then you should hold your states responsible, not the Federal Government. This is what I mean by restructuring,” the aspirant said.

    On the issue of PDP having 12 aspirants, he said there is a process, which will culminate in the emergence of one person.

    “One thing we have agreed on is that we will support whoever wins. We did that in the APC and it worked. We will do the same thing in the PDP,” Atiku said.

    He was received by his supporters led by the Chairman of the party in the state, Senator Musa’d El-Jibrin Doguwa.

     

     

  • I won’t step down for Atiku, says Lamido

    •’I’m his senior in politics’

    Former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido has responded to a statement in which former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar said Lamido will step down for him.

    Both men are contesting the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alongside about 10 others.

    At a meeting with PDP leaders in Dutse, Jigawa State on Monday, Atiku said he believed Lamido would step down for him as his elder brother.

    He said he believed Lamido would concede the ticket to him because the former governor was his younger brother and shared the same political ideology with him.

    Atiku based his prediction on the scenario in the aborted Third Republic when the Yar’Adua brothers initially sought the tickets of the defunct Social Democratic Party.

    The late Shehu, who was the elder, was running for president, while the late Umaru sought the ticket of the same party for the governor of Katsina State.

    Atiku recalled that the late Musa was persuaded to sacrifice his ambition so as not to jeopardise the chances of his younger brother.

    “But with the intervention of elders in the state, the younger brother, Umaru Musa, stepped down for another aspirant so that the politics would not be a family affair, leaving Shehu Musa to contest the president, while someone from another family vied for governor,” Atiku said.

    He told the gathering that his mother was from Jigawar Sarki, a village in Dutse Local Government of Jigawa State before her family migrated to Adamawa State where he (Atiku) was born.

    Responding to Atiku’s comment through a statement yesterday by his media aide, Adamu Usman, Lamido said he would not step down for him.

    “While it is true that he (Atiku) is older than me age-wise, I’m senior to him politically because I was in the House of Representatives in 1979 when he was an employee of the Nigeria Customs Services.

    “And if age is the criterion for standing election, then he should drop out for Buhari.”

    According to Usman, Lamido has been “patient, loyal, committed and consistent” in politics despite all the odds and his travails.

    “Even if Lamido did not show interest to contest, PDP should have called him to be the standard-bearer and if there is anyone the other aspirants should step down for, it should be Sule Lamido because he has the goodwill, political experience and capacity to confront the ruling party, APC.

    “Also, if Lamido is to step down, why would he aspire in the first place? Sule Lamido is out to run for the president in 2019 God willing,” Usman said.

     

     

  • Atiku begs Lamido to step down for him

    Former Vice-President and PDP presidential aspirant Atiku Abubakar is pleading with former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido to step down for him in the party’s presidential primary.

    The former vice president made the plea yesterday at the Jigawa State PDP secretariat. He was in the state to seek support ahead of the primaries.

    Atiku visited the former governor in his Bamaina country home.

    Atiku said his visit was to seek Lamido’s support.

    He explained that he “did not go to Jigawa to campaign but to visit PDP members and his junior brother Sule Lamido”.

    Atiku related the incident with what happened in 1993 election under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Katsina State where two brothers – Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua were contesting. The latter stepped down for the former.

    He recalled that elders told Shehu Musa Yar’Adua that there was no way they could support him as president and support his brother as the governor.

    “Junior brother cannot contest against his senior brother. The junior brother instantly stepped down for his brother due to his loyalty,” he said.

    Atiku explained that the country needs repairs because of what he called a system failure around all sectors, including security and economy.

    “The government inherited an economy growing at about 7% and crashed it to recession in its first year and currently going below 2%,” Atiku noted.

    “Most of the parts of this country are currently feeling excluded” Atiku added.

    To the former Vice-President, the APC administration is a failure and disappointment. He advised Nigerians to votes out APC next year.

    Lamido said the visit was a homecoming visit.

    All the presidential aspirants declined to comment on the issue.

  • 2019: Atiku visits Makarfi, says leadership must change hands

    •Claims Nigeria under APC is headquarters of world poverty

    Presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, said yesterday that Nigeria’s leadership must change hands next year for the country to make a head way.

    Atiku, during a visit to his fellow PDP presidential aspirant, Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi in Kaduna, claimed that poverty has grown in the country under the APC government.

    The Waziri Adamawa hailed  Makarfi for steering the party through turbulence when he held sway as national caretaker committee chairman.

    The former VP said with Makarfi’s feat in leading the party out of the woods showed that the former governor has great potentials as a leader, saying that is why it is necessary for them to come together to sustain the nation’s democracy.

    He said:”The misadministration of the APC government is very evident; we have the highest record of unemployment since 1999, we have the highest inflation, we have multiple exchange rate that discourages foreign investment. We have the highest level of insecurity since 1999.

    “We are disunited this time more than ever before, people are more angry, people are poorer more than anytime. I mean Nigeria is the headquarters of poverty in the world.

    “This is unthinkable, for a country that is endowed with human and natural resources like ours, just because of lack of clear headed leadership and direction; this is where we find ourselves.

    “So, it is obvious that we just have to change the leadership of this country.”

    When asked whether the PDP had the magic wand to change the country’s status quo, Atiku said, “of course, have you forgotten that PDP governed this country since 1999 and we witnessed progressive development in all sectors of the economy.”

    Speaking on his visit to Makarfi, he said, “we are all members of the same family and we are working together to ensure that PDP produces the best candidate for the next election, so that, PDP can be returned to power.

    “I am a democrat and I have always worked with anyone that emerged, so I am ready to work with anyone that emerges through credible elections.”

    Responding, Makarfi reminded the former VP of their various struggles working for the party in the past, noting that Atiku is capable and qualified to lead the party.

    Senator Makarfi said he has nothing to lose if Atiku picks the party’s presidential ticket.

    “I am ready to work with any of the fellow aspirants that emerges, that is why I even said that, because I am willing to work with some of them, I won’t even step into their states.

    “I am not averse to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar becoming the party’s candidate, just like he is not also averse to me becoming the party’s candidate. It is a family issue, we are talking and we will keep on talking”. Makarfi said.

     

  • 2019: Atiku visits Makarfi

    …says Nigeria under APC is headquarter of world poverty

     

    As part of efforts to produce a consensus presidential candidate for their party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Saturday visited another leading aspirant, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi in Kaduna, saying that Nigeria’s leadership must be changed in 2019 general elections for the country.

    The former Vice President said Nigeria under APC government has been turned to headquarters of poverty in the world.

    The Waziri Adamawa told Makarfi that he felt that it was necessary to visit him with his campaign train ahead of the September national convention of the party.

    He commended Makarfi who is also a presidential aspirant of the PDP for steering the party through turbulence period when he held sway as the party national caretaker committee chairman.

    The former VP said with Makarfi’s feat in leading the party off the woods, showed that the former governor has great potentials as a leader, saying that is why it is necessary for them to come together to sustain the nation’s democracy.

    He noted that Nigeria is currently at a cross-road, and that there was need for the aspirants and well meaning Nigerians to rescue the country from insecurity and poverty.

    According to Atiku, “Nigeria is at a cross-road, this is the worst time since 1999 democratic system.

    “The mis-administration of the APC government is very evident; we have the highest record of unemployment since 1999, we have the highest inflation, we have multiple exchange rate that discourages foreign investment. We have the highest level of insecurity since 1999.

    “We are disunited this time more than ever before, people are more angry, people are poorer more than anytime. I mean, if Nigeria is the headquarters of poverty in the world.

    “This is unthinkable, for a country that is endowed with human and natural resources like ours, just because of lack of clear headed leadership and direction, this is where we find ourselves.

    “So, it is obvious that we just have to change the leadership of this country.”

    When asked whether the PDP has the magic wand to change the country’s status quo, Atiku said, “of course, have you forgotten that, PDP governed this country since 1999 and we witnessed progressive development in all sectors of the economy?”.

    Speaking on his visit to Makarfi, he said, “we are all members of the same family and we are working together to ensure that PDP produces the best candidate for the next election, so that, PDP can be returned to power.

    “I am a democrat and I have always worked with anyone that emerged, so I am ready to work with anyone that emerges through credible elections.

    “Speaking about consensus, he said, consensus is their political family issue. When we close the doors and come out with a consensus, it will not be surprising”.

    Responding, Makarfi reminded the former VP of their various struggles working for the party in the past, noting that Atiku is capable and qualified to lead the party.

    Senator Makarfi said he has nothing to lose if Atiku picks the party’s presidential ticket.

    “I am ready to work with any of the fellow aspirants that emerges, that, is why I even said that, because I am willing to work with some of them, I won’t even step into their states.

    “I am not aversed to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar becoming the party’s candidate, just like he is not also aversed to me becoming the party’s candidate, it is a family issue, we are talking and we will keep on talking,” Makarfi said.

  • Youths clash as Atiku returns nomination forms

    There was pandemonium yesterday at the Abuja national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as youths, mainly street urchins, engaged in a bloody clash outside the party’s office.

    Many of the pro-Atiku youths and women supporters donning T-shirts with the politician’s portrait had gathered outside the party’s secretariat as early as 9 am, awaiting his arrival to submit his nomination forms.

    But shortly after Atiku’s arrival, another group of youths emerged, bearing the flag and other paraphernalia with the logo and signature colours of the All Progressives Congress  (APC).

    As soon as the pro-Atiku youths sighted them, they charged at them with cudgels, sticks and other weapons, leading to a bloody clash that disrupted business activities.

    The fracas, which lasted about 25 minutes, left some of the youths injured, as a handful of them suffered broken heads and fractured limbs.

    It took the intervention of the police manning the party secretariat to disperse the youths. They shot into the air before the situation could be brought under control.

    Besides Atiku, other aspirants who came to submit their nomination forms included Alhaji Sule Lamido, Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku and Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel.

    Others were a former governor of Kaduna State, Ramalan Yero and Mohammed Sani Bello, who are both contesting for the governorship of the state.

    PDP had warned the leadership of APC to control its suspected thugs, who the opposition party said were detailed to disrupt activities at its national secretariat.

    The PDP linked the invasion by thugs of its secretariat to anxiety in the APC camp over the “renewed surge” of Nigerians to the opposition party ahead of the 2019 elections.

    “The ruling party’s resort to banditry and violent attack on our secretariat is a handshake taken beyond the elbow and will not be tolerated,” spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan said in a statement.

    The statement further said: “The whole world witnessed with dismay, how APC thugs, brandishing their party’s famished brooms and charms; armed with machetes and other weapons, stormed our national secretariat, which has become a beehive of activities and attacked and injured our members and supporters before they were dispelled by security operatives.

    “The PDP has repeatedly warned against APC’s proclivity for violence and unprovoked attacks, but we never imagined that their desperation for power will drive them to the insanity of attacking our national secretariat.

    “Intelligence report available to the PDP shows that the thugs were assembled and mobilised from the national secretariat of the APC.

    “We, therefore, urge security agencies, who also witnessed this attack, to investigate this development, arrest and prosecute all individuals and officials of APC connected with the attack.

    “Moreover, the unleashing of thugs by the APC against our law-abiding party members and supporters, is particularly revealing of those behind some of the violent attacks on innocent Nigerians in various parts of the country.

    “Finally, while the PDP appreciates the overwhelming support by Nigerians across board, our party restates the determination to dismantle all forces of intimidation and rigging machinery of the APC ahead of the 2019 general election.”

     

    Atiku decries incident

    Leading presidential aspirant in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the violent incident perpetrated by trouble makers at the headquarters of PDP in Abuja yesterday.

    In a statement in Abuja, the presidential aspirant said it was uncalled for and undemocratic for any group of individuals to turn an otherwise happy political event into a fracas that threatened the lives and well-being of party supporters, who were at the event to support their candidate and party.

    The Waziri Adamawa urged supporters of parties to show maturity and allow the democratic process to proceed unhindered in the interest of the parties and aspirants as well as the nation.

    He advised his supporters to show restraint even in the face of provocation.

    Atiku praised the police and other security personnel for containing the situation and protecting innocent and law-abiding supporters.

    He said Nigerians should always allow peace to reign “in order for our leadership selection process to be reliable and credible.”

    The former vice-president is optimistic that with the neutral and effective conduct by the police, there is hope that Nigeria will get the 2019 elections right to the satisfaction of all Nigerians.

     

     

  • Cancer Foundation: Why Atiku is partnering Gov. Dickson

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has bemoaned the prevalent cases of cancer in the country and pledged to partner Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa on the establishment of a cancer centre in the state.

    Abubakar made the pledge in an interview with newsmen on Wednesday in Yenagoa, shortly after his condolence visit to Dickson’s family in Toru-Orua, Sagbama Local Government Area.

    Abubakar, who is one of the presidential aspirants under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), described Dickson’s initiative as commendable.

    He stressed that the foundation, when fully launched, would help cancer patients since early detection is critical to its treatment.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the cancer foundation was established in honour of Dickson’s mother, Mrs Goldcoast who died on Aug. 8 at aged 72.

    “The cancer centre is an extremely commendable initiative. I assure the governor that I will also join him in this cancer centre development because at the same time that he lost his mother, I also lost my sister-in-law to cancer.

    “So, you can see that cancer has become very common in Nigeria.

    “You know the best way to treat cancer is to see how we can prevent it by detecting it in time. And I want to be part of that initiative,” Abubakar said.

    Responding, Dickson said that the cancer advocacy was initiated by to honour his mother.

    “Since the passing of my mother, Mrs Goldcoast Dickson, my family has become campaigners against cancer.

    “One of the decisions that we have taken as a family is to talk to well-meaning people like you and others to see how we can mobilise support for the establishment of a cancer centre in her name.

    “We don’t want it to be government-driven but any government can make donations to it.

    “It will be affiliated to tertiary institutions and will be maintained by the Henry Seriake Foundation,” the governor said.