- Accuse Him Of Defecting From PDP Thrice, Pulling Down President Jonathan In 2015
The Peoples Democratic Party 2023 Presidential candidate and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, is facing backlash from angry Nigerians over his comments that the Labour Party (LP) Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has no political structure that can guarantee him victory.
Saying that Obi is expecting miracles and that such miracle is difficult to come by, Atiku stated while appearing on Arise TV programme, The Morning Show that the Labour Party’s Presidential candidate is only visible on Social Media without any political structure.
He therefore noted that because 90 per cent of Northerners are not on Social Media, Obi’s candidature is not a threat to his chances.
The PDP candidate said: “It’s very difficult to expect a miracle simply because Peter Obi is in Labour Party. Ninety per cent of Northerners are not on social media”
Atiku also raised issues with the way Obi left the PDP, saying he shouldn’t have left the party at the time he did.
But some angry netizens said that Atiku is a wrong person to have issues on how Obi left the PDP as the former Vice President let the leading opposition party thrice.
They also accused Atiku of orchestrating the factors that made the PDP lost the 2015 elections when he, along with serving Governors of the party left to join the All Progressive Congress (APC) without the courtesy of informing of President Goodluck Jonathan or the party leadership.
They also reminded him that he didn’t inform President Olusegun Obasanjo when he left the PDP in 2007 to contest the Presidential election under the Action Congress (AC).
According to one netizen, “according to Atiku, Obi told him of his leaving the PDP for Labour Party some days after leaving, meaning that the former VP was expecting him to come and get permission from him for taking any political action
“”Moreover Atiku has no moral right to question Obi’s exit without telling him because he left PDP as a sitting Vice President without telling his boss President Olusegun Obasanjo, and later left as Presidential aspirant without telling late Umoru Yar Adua who was the candidate then.
“Even when he left PDP with some Governors in 2014 to the All Progressives Congress, APC, the great move that led to the loss of power of the party, Atiku did not tell the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Obi was even courteous in informing Atiku after leaving as he confirmed as a mark of respect.
“We therefore refuse to accept that our candidate who is easily the most desired Presidential Candidate in the country today should not accorded his due simply because he is respectful, humble and of a gracious character.
“If Atiku wanted such hero worshipping he should not have blatantly feigned ignorant at the ill-treatment of Obi by the leadership of the party particularly in his State of Anambra.”
On the other aspect of who controls South East votes which Atiku raised, another Facebook user said the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
“When we reach the bridge Nigerian voters will decide appropriately how to cross it. Obi’s target however is no just South East votes but all Nigerian votes across board who are desirous of rescuing this country from those who held it down for years.”