Tinubu replies Atiku, says ex-VP ‘pathological liar’

The 2023 elections might shape up to be the most intriguing in the country since the return to democracy in 1999, with what seems to be the beginning of a cold war between heavyweights: Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Tinubu, in a statement issued on Saturday through his Spokesman, Tunde Rahman, berated Atiku for what he said were his pathological lies, during a recent interview on AriseTV.

Atiku, during the interview, had revealed how he disagreed with Asiwaju Tinubu during the run-up to the 2007 election, regarding a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

The former Vice-President had also alleged that he was amongst the crucial stakeholders responsible for the formation of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria prior to the 2007 elections.

Atiku had said, “My fundamental disagreement with Asiwaju was on the issue of Muslim-Muslim which led to my departure politically. Recall I was given the ticket under ACN and Asiwaju insisted to become my running mate which made him switch his support to YarAdua. I opposed the Muslim-Muslim ticket when PMB emerged which led to the emergence of a Chrisitian running mate.

“I don’t believe it is right for Nigeria and there must be a balancing of interests.

“We are still friends albeit our political differences. Of course, I am determined to defeat him at the polls.”

Asiwaju’s Scathing Riposte

But in a very acerbic response issued by Rahman, Asiwaju Tinubu tagged Atiku a “pathological liar” in a desperate attempt to win the election by stoking religious bias.

Read also:‘Tinubu has chosen to walk in Abiola’s path with Shettima’s choice,’ Says APC chairman, Adamu

“We are saddened to see such a man become unhinged from the truth. So obsessed is he with his quest for office, Atiku is willing to render any form of untruth if he thinks it might gain him a single vote. Atiku may want to be president. However, all he has shown is that he is pathological,” the APC presidential candidate said in a statement on Saturday by Mr. Tunde Rahman.

“Whatever moral compass he had has been lost. During a 22 July television interview, Atiku assaulted historic truth by lying that he did not name Tinubu as his running mate in 2007 on the Action Congress ticket because Atiku did not want a Muslim as his running mate.”

Responding to the false account of PDP Presidential candidate, Tinubu set the record straight, recalling that Atiku was not among those who founded the Action Congress.

“It was the actual founders of the AC who offered the party’s flag to Atiku because of the need to fight the authoritarian designs then President Obasanjo and the PDP had on Nigeria’s democracy.

“Atiku has no business raising the issue of a Muslim-Muslim ticket except as a hypocrite. Perhaps he believes people have forgotten his antics during the 1993 election. After he woefully lost his bid to be the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, what did he do? He canvassed and lobbied harder than anyone to become the running mate to late Chief MKO Abiola. When it benefitted him personally, Atiku did not see anything wrong with Muslim-Muslim ticket. He saw everything right in such a ticket as long as he was on it.

“Now, Atiku criticizes my selection as running mate based on religion. He does so because he cannot criticize it on other grounds. If Atiku were to have one of his rare moments of honesty, he would admit that the person I selected as my running mate is more qualified for the position than the man who joined him. And this conclusion has nothing to do with religious faith. It has everything to do with competence, experience, ability, and vision.”

Tinubu further detailed the rationale behind his choice of Kashim Shettima as his running mate, despite the outcry by stakeholders over the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

“Let me restate my position on religion and politics. When I decided that Senator Shettima was the best selection as my running mate, I listened to and weighed in serious balance the advice received from a broad and representative array of wonderful Nigerians who deeply care about this nation and the path it must go.

“Some people counselled that I should select a Christian to garner support of the Christian community. Some said I should select a Muslim for a similar reason. I clearly could not do both. Both positions had merit and right on their side. But neither position expressed what was most right and needed for the moment in which we find ourselves and the nation.

“All my life, the decisions regarding the team supporting me have always been guided by the principles of competence, innovation, compassion, integrity, fairness, and adherence to excellence. I was not going to depart from these principles at this important juncture. In fact, it was more important than ever before that I adhere to these principles.

“As Governor of Lagos State, these principles helped me assemble one of the most capable governing cabinets any state or this nation has seen. I trust in these principles to allow them to, once more, guide me to construct another exemplary team that can do Nigeria proud.”

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