The African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has revealed why he opposed former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s third-term bid, saying he chose to defend Nigeria’s Constitution and democracy over personal loyalty.
Atiku, in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant
on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said Obasanjo’s latest public comments
about him were an attempt to rewrite history.
He said the former President’s hostility towards him stemmed
largely from his opposition to the controversial third-term agenda during the
Obasanjo administration.
Atiku said he was proud to have stood against the move,
insisting that his decision was based on his commitment to Nigeria’s
Constitution and democratic principles.
“I am proud that I stood against the third-term agenda. I am
proud that I stood by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I
have no apology whatsoever for frustrating every attempt to subvert our
democracy for personal ambition.
“If Chief Obasanjo’s bitterness stems from my refusal to
support an unconstitutional third term, then I wear that resentment as a badge
of honour. No individual, regardless of his status or accomplishments, is
bigger than the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Constitution is supreme, and I
chose Nigeria over personal loyalty,” he said.
Atiku noted that the struggle against the third-term agenda
was never about two individuals but about preserving Nigeria’s constitutional
democracy for future generations.
“The Nigerian people won that battle. Democracy won that
battle. History has already delivered its verdict.”
The former Vice President said it was unfortunate that the
same man whose unconstitutional ambition was resisted now seeks to sit in
judgment over those who defended the Constitution.
Atiku said it was particularly instructive that barely
twenty-four hours before Chief Obasanjo’s latest outburst, the Director-General
of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, publicly paid
glowing tribute to the economic management team he led, describing it as “the
best Nigeria has ever had”.
“Whether or not the timing is merely coincidental is for
Nigerians to judge. What is beyond dispute, however, is that while
distinguished Nigerians who served at the highest levels continue to
acknowledge my contributions to one of Nigeria’s most successful periods of
economic management, Chief Obasanjo appears determined to diminish them.
“Chief Obasanjo may choose not to appreciate my role in
building one of Nigeria’s most prosperous economic eras, but history has been
far kinder. The record speaks for itself, and so do the testimonies of those
who worked closely with that administration,” he added.
Atiku further stated that Nigerians also deserve to remember
the other side of history which Chief Obasanjo conveniently omits.
“History records that while Chief Obasanjo was in prison, I
stood firmly by him. I supported his family, worked tirelessly with other
patriots for his release and never wavered in my belief that he deserved his
freedom.
“When he eventually regained his freedom, he had little to
his name. I received him, clothed him, ensured he was properly cared for and
extended every support necessary to help him regain his footing. Beyond that, I
mobilised political structures, built alliances and made enormous personal and
political sacrifices that culminated in his emergence as President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the ADC presidential candidate said.
Atiku said he harbours no regrets over any of those acts.
He said, “Do I regret helping Chief Obasanjo? Absolutely
not. When God gives you the opportunity to lift another human being, you do so
without expecting repayment. Acts of kindness are matters of conscience, not
commercial transactions.”
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