Former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday dismissed criticisms
that he was desperate to emerge as Nigeria’s next President in the 2019
presidential election.
Atiku said despite claims by his critics that he was bent on becoming
the nation’s leader, he was qualified to contest the presidential
election and had the right ideas to address the challenges affecting the
country.
The PDP presidential aspirant spoke during his visit to delegates of the
Edo State chapter of the PDP to solicit their support ahead of the
party’s primary in September.
Atiku said, “What do you expect my critics to say? And there is nothing
wrong with entering the race. I can run as many times as possible.
“I am fit and qualified. I still have ideas that I believe that are
going to put this country on the right path. So, what is wrong with
running?
“I am not desperate and if I were desperate, I would have taken the
Presidency in 2003. If I were desperate, I would not have stepped down
for (late Moshood) Abiola. I am not desperate.”
The former vice-president lamented that Nigeria had suffered retrogression in the last three years.
While accusing the ruling APC of being responsible for the loss of nine
million jobs since 2015, he noted that the recipes for peace in the
country were equity and job creation.
He said, “Since the APC came into power, it said it was going to
create three million jobs. It has lost three million jobs every year and
today, we have 11 million young Nigerians not working.
“It is only the PDP that can create these jobs because we have done so
before. We have created jobs before; we have brought prosperity before
in this country. We have unified this country before and we have ensured
that there was equity in this country before.”
