PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku under attack over anti-ethnic comment

The flag bearer of the main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has come under serious criticism following a comment he made that was perceived as anti-ethnical while speaking to an Arewa Joint Committee in Kaduna over the weekend.

As reported by Punch, the Adamawa-born politician during the interactive session said the northern region should not vote for him because he hailed from the north.

He also stated that they should not vote for an Igbo or Yoruba candidate, a figurative statement aimed at the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and that of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In his words, he said:

“What the average Northerner needs is somebody who’s from the North and also understands that part of the country and has been able to build bridges across the country.

“This is what the Northerner needs. It doesn’t need a Yoruba or Igbo candidate. I stand before you as a pan-Nigerian of northern origin.’’

Meanwhile, Atiku’s comment was greeted with a lot of criticism after many perceived it insensitive and anti-ethnical.

One of those who strongly criticised was the former minister of aviation and APC chieftain, Femi Fani-Kayode who described Atiku’s statement as “unacceptable but also insulting, irresponsible and despicable.”

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He said:

“The North does not need a Yoruba or Igbo President: she needs a Northern President – Atiku Abubakar. Such tomfoolery is rarely seen even from the worst among us.

“Atiku’s words are not only unacceptable but also insulting, irresponsible, and despicable.”

Similarly, the ruling party, APC described Atiku as a hypocrite over his statement.

The national publicity secretary of the APC, Felix Morka in a statement on Sunday, October 16 said Atiku’s statement is capable of distorting long years of preserved national unity.

He said:

“Atiku’s words ring loud of extreme and mindless desperation and such an extremely desperate man cannot and must not be entrusted with the most important job of President – a job whose core duty is that of leading, uniting and working in the best interest of all in an ethnoreligious, pluralistic society as Nigeria. Our country does not need this kind of highly inflammable rhetoric now or ever.’’

Also, the director of media and publicity of the Tinubu campaign council, Bayo Onanuga described Atiku’s comment as the ‘’the worst expression of ethnocentric opportunism ever uttered by a former Nigerian Vice-President.’’

The Labour Party on the other hand urged Atiku to issue an apology for his statement as seen in the viral video.

Yunusa Tanko, the chief spokesperson of the presidential campaign council of the party said Atiku’s comments were wrong and should be used by someone of his calibre.

He said:

“What we observed is that it is unfair for somebody who had been in the saddle of leadership of this country to play the ethnic card as a way of generating support.

“Our principal has made it clear long before now that even when people are trying to play ethnic agenda, nobody should look at him as an Igbo candidate. Our movement is a Nigerian project for the Nigerian people.”
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