2023: Atiku told to abandon ambition, support younger presidential aspirants

The Coalition comprising of four groups namely; Middle belt Network for Atiku, North 4 North support group for Atiku, Turaki Arewa Vanguard for Atiku and Southwest development frontiers on Thursday urged the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar to abandon presidential ambition.

The former Vice President who is a serial contestant since 2007 has indicated interest to contest the 2023 presidency on the plate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but was on Thursday urged to support a younger aspirant ahead of 2023 general election.

The group admitted that they had always supported Alhaji Abubakar in his political journey which he has contributed his own quota and should step aside from the presidential race on account of old age and fairness.

They also urged the PDP chieftain to jettison his ambition and throw his weight towards supporting a younger candidate.

Addressing a world press conference on Thursday in Abuja, the Convener of the Group, Femi Osabinu said: “As evidenced in the fact that we have been his supporters for years, it is undeniable that at that 77 years of age going into this race, it will be a mismatch of National priorities to support his quest, taking into consideration the unique interplay of circumstances currently confronting our country.

“Nigeria needs a young and more energetic unifier, who will be able to handle the rigors of being physically present in crises spots to make the physical and psychological statement of government being in charge and committed to finding lasting solutions to our national challenges.

“Having being around for decades and served at different levels, up to the highest levels of government as a very influential vice president, we believe Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has done his tour of duty in the front roll of national affairs. It is now time for him to take a back seat and play the role of elder statesman, the billings of which he has lived up to. His role, going forward, should be of providing guidance to the younger ones across ethnic, religious and partisan affiliations to help build a consensus of what Nigeria should be and how she ought to go about becoming all she can be in the comity of nations”.

The Group Convener also alleged that the former vice president betrayed the trust of supporters by abandoning the party structure and his support groups in post 2019 elections.

“We are equally not blind to the optics of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s preferred public association with members of the topmost echelons of the Nigerian elite, showing he has lost touch with reality of the suffering masses of Nigeria, who are bitten by the current bugs of the economy and the potential drifting of the political ship of the state.

“As a professed lover of the east of Nigeria, having even gone as far as taking a wife from that region, we urge Alhaji Atiku to substitute his personal ambition with overt support for a candidate of eastern extraction” he said.

The group added that “The time is now, if we must save Nigeria, for a younger candidate to take the saddle and take back the country from a particular set of Nigerians who are in their late seventies and eighties. The time is now for a new thinking to guide Nigeria in the direction that is befitting of a 21st century society, as the giant of Africa and Africa’s largest economy, to play a leadership role in African affairs and in the comity of nations as a while”.

They advised that in the spirit of love and fairness, the country should shift power to the southern part of the country.