The Presidential Candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar has maintained that it was Asiwaju Bola Tinubu that approached him for a Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2007 and not the other way round.
Though the Tinubu Campaign Organisation had said that it was Atiku that approached Tinubu to be his running mate on the same faith ticket, The former Vice President in a statement on Sunday signed by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe replied he does not expect the APC candidate who could even forget the name of his political party to remember what transpired in 2007.
The statement quoted various sources and independent authorities who cited instances where Tinubu was pushing to be the running mate to a Muslim Candidate adding that Tinubu’s memory may be failing which made him to forget what truly happened. It said that facts are available to substantiate the claim of Atiku and added that the Waziri Adamawa understands the multi ethnic and religious nature of the country and has so much respect for every faith and carries along all ethnic linens.
The statement stated, “The major accusation made by Asiwaju Tinubu is that the Waziri Adamawa offered him the opportunity of being his running mate in 2007, which means that the former Vice President was not then mindful of Nigeria’s religious and ethnic diversity, making his statements during the Arise TV interview hypocritical.
“We would not say that Bola Tinubu has lied. Rather, it is our desire to give him the benefit of the doubt, and believe that his memory may not be what it used to be”.
The statement went further to cite different scenario and authors that wrote on Tinubu trying to scheme for Muslim-Muslim ticket so that he can emerge as a Vice Presidential Candidate
“Nigerians may want to note that on 14 September, 2005, the then US Consul General, Brian L. Browne, drafted a memo, leaked via Wikileaks, wherein he stated that Bola Tinubu was scheming to be a running mate to either Atiku Abubakar or Muhammadu Buhari.
“This is further historically corroborated by the subsequent political history of Nigeria. Biographers of President Muhammadu Buhari have variously recounted how that Bola Tinubu made the same request of then Presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
“In his 2016 Authorised biography of President Muhammadu Buhari titled ‘Muhammadu Buhari: The Challenges of Leadership in Nigeria’, Professor John Paden, an American, wrote about the issue as follows:
“Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State and political ‘godfather’ of the South-West geopolitical zone, felt he should be the vice-presidential candidate.”
The statement stated that the above instances goes to affirm a clearly shows a behavioural pattern here adding that if anyone is “unhinged from the truth” (to borrow Asiwaju Tinubu’s words), it certainly is not Atiku Abubakar.
“In any case, if Bola Tinubu can forget the name of his own political party, why will he not also forget what transpired in 2007 and 2015? We do sympathise with him”.
According to the statement, “the fact remains that in a fragile and ethnically diverse nation, such as ours, religious and ethnic balance must be observed at the highest levels, and from there flow downwards.
“That is what Atiku Abubakar said during his interview with Arise TV on Thursday, July 21, 2022, and he stands on that principle and will continue to so stand without apology to anyone.
“From the forgoing, it is clear that His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar’s memory and recollection of the event has been corroborated by multiple, independent, and unconnected third parties, and if this were a court of law, this issue would have been regarded as proved beyond reasonable doubt.
“We would also like to remind Nigerians that even though multiple sources have testified that Bola Tinubu desperately lobbied to be made Buhari’s deputy in a Muslim-Muslim ticket, Bola Tinubu himself denied this on June 22, 2022, and instead accused President Buhari of offering him the position of Vice President.
“Which is exactly the same false allegation he has made against Atiku Abubakar. This is a pattern of behaviour. Not owning up to his actions”.
