Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said conspiracy of political elite in the country was responsible for his unsuccessful attempts at the nation’s number one seat since 2007.
Atiku, who has been contesting the presidential election for over 11 years now, said he was seen as someone too strong to control if he becomes president. “It (reason why I have not been elected President) is what I call the conspiracy theory of the political elite; if you are not going to be used, if you are not going to satisfy their personal aspiration. Part of the problem they (elite) have with me, is that they say I am independent, principled and so on. “Unfortunately, the Nigeria public is not politically sophisticated to override the conspiracy of these political elite.
They rely on the political elite to direct them,” the former vice president said. Atiku, who is one of the 13 aspirants seeking to fly the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in next year’s presidential election, also spoke on his defections to various political parties. The former vice president has changed parties more than four times, but he said that changing political parties is not the issue, but consistency in what one believes in.
“Tell me one political leader who has been consistent on a political platform. All of them, none of them that have not changed party. But changing party is not the issue, have you been consistent in what you believe in, in your policies? I think that is the most important thing. Changing party is part of our political development process,” Atiku stated. He promised to initiate economic reforms that would open up the country to foreign investors if elected president next year, and lamented that most of the gains recorded when he was head of the nation’s economic team under former President Olusegun Obasanjo administration, have been eroded by successive administrations. The presidential aspirant, who blamed policy somersault for the country’s economic woes, said he would use his experience in the private sector to fix the economy, if he becomes president. He stated that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has failed to deliver in its three cardinal campaign promises of fighting corruption, security and fixing the economy.
“When we came in 1999, a barrel of crude oil was less than $10 in the market. We met less than $5 billion in our foreign reserve. With all that, we were still able to manage the economy of the country to the extent that we paid all our foreign debt and became debt free. “We were able to turn around the economy then, so I don’t think it is an im-possible task to do now. If we are given the opportunity, I believe it is doable.
“I believe I have the experience and the capacity to deal with these issues more than any one of them, because I have dealt with them before. I assembled the best economic team with that, we went well and everybody attested to what we have done in those eight years. “We liberalised the economy, we expanded the private sector’s participation and try to limit government to the necessary issues. If these policies we started were continued, today we would have been in a better country. “So, I believe we need somebody who can come and continue with these policies so that we can bring back our prosperity, create more jobs for our unemployed youths. The most important thing is who can put this country back on the path of growth? I believe and I am so sure that I am that person,” Atiku boasted.
They rely on the political elite to direct them,” the former vice president said. Atiku, who is one of the 13 aspirants seeking to fly the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in next year’s presidential election, also spoke on his defections to various political parties. The former vice president has changed parties more than four times, but he said that changing political parties is not the issue, but consistency in what one believes in.
“Tell me one political leader who has been consistent on a political platform. All of them, none of them that have not changed party. But changing party is not the issue, have you been consistent in what you believe in, in your policies? I think that is the most important thing. Changing party is part of our political development process,” Atiku stated. He promised to initiate economic reforms that would open up the country to foreign investors if elected president next year, and lamented that most of the gains recorded when he was head of the nation’s economic team under former President Olusegun Obasanjo administration, have been eroded by successive administrations. The presidential aspirant, who blamed policy somersault for the country’s economic woes, said he would use his experience in the private sector to fix the economy, if he becomes president. He stated that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has failed to deliver in its three cardinal campaign promises of fighting corruption, security and fixing the economy.
“When we came in 1999, a barrel of crude oil was less than $10 in the market. We met less than $5 billion in our foreign reserve. With all that, we were still able to manage the economy of the country to the extent that we paid all our foreign debt and became debt free. “We were able to turn around the economy then, so I don’t think it is an im-possible task to do now. If we are given the opportunity, I believe it is doable.
“I believe I have the experience and the capacity to deal with these issues more than any one of them, because I have dealt with them before. I assembled the best economic team with that, we went well and everybody attested to what we have done in those eight years. “We liberalised the economy, we expanded the private sector’s participation and try to limit government to the necessary issues. If these policies we started were continued, today we would have been in a better country. “So, I believe we need somebody who can come and continue with these policies so that we can bring back our prosperity, create more jobs for our unemployed youths. The most important thing is who can put this country back on the path of growth? I believe and I am so sure that I am that person,” Atiku boasted.
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Presidency: I’m a victim of political elite’s conspiracy – Atiku
Reviewed by ABIODUN SODIQ
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October 02, 2018
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Reviewed by ABIODUN SODIQ
on
October 02, 2018
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