Politics

How I saved President Tinubu’s political career, says Atiku

Published by Tope Fakinlede on June 10th, 2024.

How I saved President Tinubu’s political career, says Atiku Abubakar

Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), asserted on Sunday that President Bola Tinubu had significantly benefited from his support, contrary to circulating claims. Atiku suggested that without his intervention, Tinubu’s political career might have ended prematurely during his tenure as Lagos State governor in the early Fourth Republic.

Vice President Kashim Shettima recently stated that both Atiku and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu had previously benefited from Tinubu’s political backing during periods of political persecution. Shettima mentioned that Tinubu’s residence in Bourdillon, Ikoyi, Lagos, served as a sanctuary for Atiku when he faced expulsion from the PDP, aiding him in his subsequent presidential bid.

In response, Atiku, through his Media Adviser Paul Ibe, refuted Shettima’s claims, emphasizing that it was actually Tinubu who greatly benefited from Atiku’s goodwill. He argued that his support was crucial for Tinubu to complete his tenure as governor without facing impeachment.

Atiku highlighted that leading up to the 2023 election, there were attempts to misrepresent the history of early Fourth Republic politics, wrongly attributing the Action Congress (AC), a party Atiku ran with in 2007, as Tinubu’s creation. He clarified that the AC emerged from a coalition including the Advance Congress of Democrats, predominantly formed by members of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) and associates, along with Tinubu’s faction from the Alliance for Democracy.

Atiku advised Shettima to refrain from making comments on subjects he was not well-versed in, noting that Atiku’s nomination by delegates from all states countered the notion that Tinubu had any significant control over the party. The delegates included prominent figures from various political backgrounds, indicating a broad coalition rather than a party dominated by Tinubu.

Atiku’s statement emphasized that the delegates who selected him as the party’s presidential candidate included notable figures from across the political spectrum, further underscoring the collective nature of the AC’s formation and its nomination process.