Atiku says
like every other Nigerian, he is nervous about the allegations levelled against
President by the former President Obasanjo.
Former
Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said although he was not competent to speak
on former
President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter to President Goodluck Jonathan
because he was not privy to the communication, it was expedient for leaders
consulted by the former President before the publication of the letter to
intervene and reduce the tension created by former President Obasanjo’s weighty
allegations.
In
a statement issued by his media office in Abuja, Atiku said like every other
Nigerian, he was nervous about the allegations made by the former President and
that those elders mentioned by Mr. Obasanjo had a moral duty to add their
voices to the issue.
According
to Atiku, the allegations were too disturbing to be treated with apathy by any
political stakeholder like him. He said at a moment of national anxiety or
uncertainty, leaders across the country should rise to the occasion and
reassure fellow Nigerians about the future.
He
explained that at a time the rest of the world was looking at Nigeria as a
beacon of hope for stability, the content of Mr. Obasanjo’s letter should be
urgently addressed by former leaders and elders.
Atiku
said with the attention of Nigerians focused on the 2015 elections, there was
the urgent need to reassure Nigerians.
“Our
priorities for Nigeria are forging lasting solutions to our chronic
unemployment, providing safety and security for all, and vastly improving our
failing education systems. President Jonathan’s government has consistently
failed to address these critical concerns,” Atiku said.
“That
said, it is on record that I have firmly fought for a democracy where the
voters choose their future leaders, not political party bosses. If the
incumbent President insists on continuing to destroy his own party with
vindictive internal wars and thinks his record of rising youth unemployment,
never-ending violence, corruption and scandals is worthy of another term, then
he is welcome to run. We are confident Nigerians will exercise their democratic
right to choose new leadership in 2015,” he said.
Atiku
explained that the President was free to run his government without
interference, but said sometimes even sitting Presidents needed outside
constructive interventions to move the country forward.
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