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The ongoing brickbats between the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, have taken a dramatic turn with the latest shot coming from the former's camp.
Atiku, the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) presidential candidate, had stoked controversy during his Arise TV interview aired on Friday, July 22, 2022.
While commenting on the choice of Tinubu and the APC to present a single faith ticket, Atiku said the former Lagos State Governor had been nursing the ambition since their days together in the Action Congress (AC).
The former Vice President claimed that Tinubu lobbied to be his running mate in 2007, but that he rejected his advances due to his belief in fairness and inclusive politics.
In his response, Tinubu countered Atiku's claim, saying it was actually the latter that asked him to fill the vice presidential spot, which he (Tinubu) declined.
The APC presidential candidate also berated Atiku for condemning a Muslim-Muslim ticket, noting that he had no problem with a same-faith ticket in 2007 because it was politically convenient for him.
Subsequently, the Tinubu Campaign Organisation (TCO) issued a statement where they described the former Vice President as unprepared for the Nigerian presidency.
In a counter-reaction, Media Adviser to Atiku, Paul Ibe, had issued a statement in which Tinubu was challenged to an hour-long television interview to prove that he was fit to run for the presidency.
Meanwhile, the Atiku camp has now fired a fresh salvo by suggesting that the former Lagos state governor may be suffering from memory loss.
Atiku said in the statement Ibe issued on his behalf: “We have read the response from Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the groundbreaking interview granted by His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, to Arise TV, and even though it was replete with indiscreet language, the former Vice President has elected to respond to the claims made by Asiwaju.
“In responding, he has chosen the route of a friendly riposte, in the hope that his gesture will be reciprocated by the Asiwaju in future. On the issue of Atiku Abubakar offering to make Bola Tinubu his running mate in 2007, the Waziri says as a statesman, which he believes Asiwaju Bola Tinubu also is, or should be, it is pertinent that they use temperate language at all times. It not only shows that they are seasoned and mature, more importantly, it is a good indicator of fitness for the office.
“And that is why it is our intention to respond to Asiwaju’s statement on Atiku Abubakar’s Arise TV interview, not in the rather impolite manner that he dealt the PDP presidential candidate, but in measured tones.
“The major accusation made by Asiwaju Tinubu is that the Waziri Adamawa offered him the opportunity of being his running mate in 2007, which means that the former Vice President was not then mindful of Nigeria’s religious and ethnic diversity, making his statements during the Arise TV interview hypocritical.
“We would not say that Bola Tinubu has lied. Rather, it is our desire to give him the benefit of the doubt, and believe that his memory may not be what it used to be.
“Nigerians may want to note that on 14 September, 2005, the then US Consul General, Brian L. Browne, drafted a memo, leaked via Wikileaks, wherein he stated that Bola Tinubu was scheming to be a running mate to either Atiku Abubakar or Muhammadu Buhari.
“This is further historically corroborated by the subsequent political history of Nigeria. Biographers of President Muhammadu Buhari have variously recounted how Bola Tinubu made the same request of then Presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
“In his 2016 AUTHORISED biography of President Muhammadu Buhari titled ‘Muhammadu Buhari: The Challenges of Leadership in Nigeria’, Professor John Paden, an American, wrote about the issue as follows:
“Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State and political ‘godfather’ of the South-West geopolitical zone, felt he should be the vice-presidential candidate.
“The above clearly shows a behavioural pattern here. So, if anyone is “unhinged from the truth” (to borrow Asiwaju Tinubu’s words), it certainly is not Atiku Abubakar. In any case, if Bola Tinubu can forget the name of his own political party, why will he not also forget what transpired in 2007 and 2015? We do sympathise with him.
“The fact remains that in a fragile and ethnically diverse nation, such as ours, religious and ethnic balance must be observed at the highest levels, and from there flow downwards.
“That is what Atiku Abubakar said during his interview with Arise TV on Thursday, July 21, 2022, and he stands on that principle and will continue to so stand without apology to anyone. From the forgoing, it is clear that His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar’s memory and recollection of the event has been corroborated by multiple, independent, and unconnected third parties, and if this were a court of law, this issue would have been regarded as proved beyond reasonable doubt.
“We would also like to remind Nigerians that even though multiple sources have testified that Bola Tinubu desperately lobbied to be made Buhari’s deputy in a Muslim-Muslim ticket, Bola Tinubu himself denied this on June 22, 2022, and instead accused President Buhari of offering him the position of Vice President.
“Which is exactly the same false allegation he has made against Atiku Abubakar. This is a pattern of behaviour. Not owning up to his actions.
“Therefore, we hope this settles the matter, and that cordiality can be expected henceforth from the opposing camp.”
Atiku and Tinubu, among other aspirants, will go head-to-head at the presidential polls come February 25, 2023.