ATIKU: Buhari used my money, influence to win, then sidelined me

Former Vice President and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Atiku Abubakar, has lamented the treatment President Muhammadu Buhari’s government has meted out to him since assuming power.

Atiku, who was among the presidential aspirants that contested the APC presidential ticket along with Buhari in 2015 bemoaned that despite all the efforts he made to ensure the party emerged victorious that he has been sidelined.

The former vice president stated this on Wednesday when he spoke in an interview on the Hausa Service of the Voice of America (VOA).

In the interview he granted in Yola, the Adamawa State capital where he celebrated the Eid-el- Kabir festival, he said, “Honestly speaking, I’m still a member of the APC; I was part of all the processes, including campaigns until success was achieved.

“But sadly, soon after the formation of government; I was side-lined, I have no any relationship with the government, I’ve not been contacted even once to comment on anything and in turn, I maintained my distance. They used our money and influence to get to where they are but three years down the lane, this is where we are.”

Atiku, meanwhile lauded President Buhari on his achievements in the fight against Boko Haram, but warned that it was not yet time to celebrate and jubilate.

According to him, his party, the APC still has a lot to do and had already “failed in many fronts”.

He said, “Yes, there were successes but not comprehensive success because the Boko Haram miscreants are still very active, killing our people and many local government councils in Borno and Yobe are under their firm grip. People cannot dare go back to their dwellings

“This thing baffles me; I never imagined that Nigeria will fight a protracted battle with Boko Haram for five years. At a time, we fought the Biafra war, which was more complicated because of the terrain in the South but the Biafran soldiers were roundly subdued in 30 months. But here we are, fighting an endless battle with the Boko Haram and there’s no end in sight”.

Read also : My loyalty to Atiku unshakable; I’ll vote him over Buhari in 2019- Alhassan

Speaking on the present administration’s fight against corruption, he said that little has been achieved and wondered “how many people were arrested, prosecuted and jailed? How much was recovered from the looters?”

Referring to the administration under which he served as vice president to Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999 to 2007, he said, “When we came on board in 1999, I remember we recovered between $4.5 and $4.7 billion from those that looted under (Late Sani) Abacha.”

Buhari’s Women Affairs’ Minister, Mrs. Alhassan, had also on the same day, told the BBC Hausa Service, how she would support Atiku, who she referred to as her godfather in the 2019 presidential elections even if Mr. Buhari seeks re-election.

Atiku statement is coming as the opposition Peoples Democratic Party has vowed not to rest until he returns to to the party.

 

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