Former Vice President and PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, has denied any betrayal of President Bola Tinubu, whom he accused of certificate forgery in court.
He said Tinubu was the one who abandoned him and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to back Umaru Yar’Adua of the PDP in the 2007 presidential election.
He also claimed that he saved Tinubu from being removed as Lagos State governor by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2007.
Atiku made these statements at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, where he vowed to continue his legal battle to prove that Tinubu forged his Chicago State University certificate that he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the 2023 polls.
He also called on the presidential candidates of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and New Nigeria Peoples Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, to join him in his quest for justice. He said Nigeria’s reputation was at stake and that the constitution must be upheld.
This was the third time Atiku addressed the media since INEC declared Tinubu of the APC the winner of the presidential election. He was accompanied by former Senate President Bukola Saraki, ex-Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke, former PDP National Chairmen Prince Uche Secondus and Senator Iyorchia Ayu, among others.
Atiku had filed an election petition appeal at the Supreme Court to challenge the verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal which affirmed Tinubu’s victory.
He had also sought the academic records of the President from the Chicago State University to substantiate his allegation of forgery against Tinubu. Magistrate Jeffrey Gilbert had granted Atiku’s request for the release of Tinubu’s academic records on September 19 but Tinubu appealed against the ruling. However, his objection was dismissed by federal judge Nancy Maldonado, who ordered the CSU to release Tinubu’s academic records.
When asked by journalists if his action was a betrayal of Tinubu, Atiku said he had no personal grudge against Tinubu but was only interested in exposing the truth.
He recalled how they formed ACN in 2007 and how he emerged as the presidential candidate at the convention in Lagos. He said after the convention, some of their friends told him that Tinubu wanted to be his running mate but he rejected the idea of a Muslim-Muslim ticket. He said that was when their political relationship ended as Tinubu went ahead to support Yar’Adua.
“In 2007, we came together to form ACN (Action Congress of Nigeria) and in Lagos at the convention, I emerged and got the ticket. And after the convention, a few of our friends who are here met me and told me Bola wanted to be my running mate. So, I asked for their opinion on Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“All of them said they objected. So, I asked them why didn’t they tell him? So, that was the end of our political relationship; it broke away as he went ahead and supported Yar’adua. So where is the ground for him to say I betrayed him?’’
He also revealed how he prevented Obasanjo from taking over Lagos State in 2003 when the PDP swept all the states in the South-West except Lagos.
He said he stood by Tinubu and defended him against Obasanjo’s onslaught. He said he did not expect any gratitude from Tinubu but he would not allow him to get away with forgery.
“Those of you who are old enough will remember that in 2003 the PDP took over all the states in the South-West, with the exception of Lagos. I stood before Obasanjo and said no, you can’t take Lagos. And he left it. So, who is indebted to the other: Is it me or Tinubu? Tinubu is indebted to me.’’
Meanwhile, the APC has slammed Atiku for his press conference, saying it was a contempt of court and a desperate attempt to tarnish Tinubu’s image.
The APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said Atiku’s claims were baseless and full of lies. He said Atiku was obsessed with Tinubu’s academic record and should focus on his own credentials instead.
He said the APC was confident that Tinubu would emerge victorious at the Supreme Court and that Atiku should accept his defeat gracefully.
