VICE President Atiku Abubakar, yesterday, called for closer examination of all presidential candidates on the wings of his experience with President Olusegun Obasanjo whom he termed a tyrant and dictator bent on sustaining himself in office for life.
He told Governor Bukar Abba Ibrahim of Yobe State at Government House, in Damaturu, that Nigerians should now take their fate in their hands, warning that a vote for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) would return President Obasanajo to power through the back door. He described the PDP as having gone under, saying of the 41 persons that joined him (Atiku) in founding the party, only two persons now remained in the party.
Governor Ibrahim, who received the VP alongside members of his cabinet, in his remarks condemned the injustice being perpetuated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), vowing that he would not campaign for Gen. Muhammadu Buhari or Senator Mamman Ali, his party’s candidates for the presidency and governorship in Yobe State.
Vice President Abubakar who was accompanied by his running mate, Senator Ben Obi; the party chairman, Chief Bisi Akande and other party big wigs said: “The irony of what is happening in Nigeria today is that while we may want to develop politically and democratically, unfortunately, we have a tyrant as president. I am not afraid, I am not ashamed to say it.
“Because he is obsessed with wanting to remain in power for ever, he would not brood any opposition from anywhere and, therefore, will use state apparatuses to silence anybody and I think the time has come for the people of this country to stand up for their rights and we will stand up for our rights.
“We must have the right and the freedom to exercise those beliefs we believe in and I pray to God that when we come to elect our next leaders we should really examine them, really examine them so that we can elect leaders who really know what democracy is all about and who are prepared to practise democracy according to the rules and games.
Noting what he described as the excessive powers of the President, he said: “Take, for instance, the Nigerian Police. The Nigerian Police is at the whims and caprices of the President. Whatever he wants to do with it, he will do with it. The Police boss cannot stand up, salute him and say this is against the law. If he says that, he is gone.
“It is the same thing with EFCC which we created in good faith to fight corruption. It has been turned into a monster of political persecution. It is the same thing with the State Security Services. Instead of the State Security Services to concentrate on law and order and security of the individuals of the people of this country, 99 per cent of their work is on political opponents. Every time I get out of Abuja, signals go round to all the state directorates, the Vice President is coming on tour, monitor him, follow him, see what you can do to get it.
“Is that the work of SSS when we have armed robbers, bandits between Damaturu and Maiduguri?
“Imagine the INEC, it lacks the independence to stand up against injustice, look at the President and say, Mr President, this thing you have asked us to do is against the law.”
Promising to cut down the powers of the President if elected, he said: “If I become the president of this country, I will insulate these agencies from executive excesses and executive manipulation because if we don’t take time…We are now trying to stop a dictator and a tyrant, we will end up with one person who will commandeer the powers of all these government agencies and use it against the people of this country.
“PDP is not a party you can vote for. I was a foundation member of this party and virtually the financier. There were 42 of us, 40 of us have left PDP except only two because that party has departed from the principle of those of us who came together to form this party the most democratic, to make it a big party so that we don’t allow military regime to come back, it has completely gone under. It is not a party for the future of this country and it is our responsibility to enlighten you so that you can have a choice to make.’
Responding, Governor Ibrahim narrated his experience in the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) where he said he was compelled to step down from the presidential race under undemocratic influences. He also lamented that the ANPP foisted a gubernatorial candidate in the person of Senator Ali instead of Senator Usman Albashir who allegedly won the party primaries.
He said unless the grievances of the people of the State were addressed, he would not go out to campaign for anybody in the state.