The Plateau State Coordinator of the Atiku Nationwide Project, Dr.
Solomon Gushibet, has dismissed the sleaze allegations being made in
some quarters against the presidential candidate of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, saying no case has been
established against him. Gushibet queried why Atiku was going about his
legitimate engagements freely around the country without being picked up
and prosecuted if he had any case to answer.
Gushibet spoke
yesterday at a meeting of the Atiku campaign organisation in Jos. He
said Atiku and his running mate, Peter Obi, had what it takes to move
Nigeria to greater heights, and urged PDP supporters not to be deterred
but remain courageous. He added that Atiku was the engine room of
Nigeria as Vice President during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s
government, who gave the administration resounding credibility by
bringing about economic transformation.
He said further that
by the time the duo came to office, the Nigerian economy was already
nose-diving into recession and depression, adding that when they came
in, they did not blame the recession on the military but went head-on to
revive the ailing economy.
“So, Atiku is not a thief. If Atiku
were a thief, he wouldn’t have been moving around freely without being
arrested because of the nature of this government. Atiku started
investing at the age of 15 and here he is today. We must not leave any
stone unturned to deliver him to the people of Nigeria,” Gushibet said.
The
national secretary of the campaign organisation, Abdullahi Narabi, in
his contribution, said they had thought the present federal government
was coming with respite, when they came on board in 2015. But things
became worse economically, he said, as prices of staple food
skyrocketed. Narabi said the government was anti-people and its claims
about fighting corruption were a ruse.
“Since they did not find
anything against Atiku, that means he is not corrupt. They would have
prosecuted him, but there is nothing fraudulent and incriminating in
him,” Narabi said.
Speaking also, Coordinator of the North
Central Zone of the organisation, Hon. George Daika, said Atiku was a
man of integrity and an employer of labour. Daika said most of Atiku’s
investments were located in Nigeria, adding that the government of
Atiku, if he wins, is going to be a government for the people.
Daika
said Obasanjo brought in Atiku to help revive the ailing economy and
urged the electorate to be dogged fighters who should not despair.
“Don’t
be discouraged. Don’t be despaired, and don’t be deterred. It is our
project. He is doing it for our interest and for our sake. We are
confident that Atiku will win in February presidential poll,” the North
Central coordinator said.
In their own remarks, an elder
statesman, Alhaji Abdullahi Wase, Mr. Joseph Tonkan, and other
stakeholders said Nigerians should make deliberate efforts to ensure
Atiku’s victory at the polls next month.
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