Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar on
Saturday said he cautioned some Peoples Democratic Party governors
against arming the youth for the purpose of winning elections.
Atiku while speaking in an interview on the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation monitored in Kaduna on Saturday said his advice was not heeded.
He also said he would not leave the ruling PDP despite the unfair treatment meted to him.
Atiku said he would rather remain in the party and fight the injustice being perpetrated by the leadership of the party.
He said the series of restrictions
imposed on him by the party was because the party chieftains were afraid
of him and his opposition to illegalities in the party.
When asked whether he would contest for the presidency in 2015, Atiku replied that 2015 was too far for him to decide.
Speaking on how he cautioned some state
governors against buying arms and ammunition for the youth, Atiku said,
“During our time when there was such crisis in Yobe, you saw how we
tackled it. First of all, we sent undercover agents who mixed up with
the insurgents and understood their modus operandi. When the
report was brought to us, we then sent security agents who rounded up
the enclave, arrested some of them and killed those that had to be
killed.
“When we formed the PDP and candidates
emerged, the governors earmarked huge amounts of money to buy arms for
youth groups so as to use them in winning thte election.
“I met and told them that if they used
them and after winning the election, they fail to provide them with
jobs, they will rise against the people in their states. These are the
youths who later turned into the Niger Delta militants you’ve been
hearing about. Also, a similar thing happened in the North, I met a
governor and told him that these youths you assembled and called ECOMOG
will become dangerous later and that was what eventually happened. I
spoke to all these governors, I alerted all of them.”
He, added that the proposed amnesty for
Boko Haram was a good initiative, adding that, “Ours is just to advise
the government. But there is no advice that the elders have not given
the government. Look at the Lemu Committee report, the government did
nothing about it.”
On why the PDP could not resolve the
disagreements between him and the chairman of the party, Atiku said, “We
are all working together now, it is only the governor (Murtala Nyako)
that we are not working with. He feels because he is in power, he can do
whatever he likes. But when you are in power and you decide not to be
just, you will definitely see what you don’t like.”
Atiku said it was unfortunate that the
ruling party was enmeshed in crisis, adding that, “This crisis is
certainly not good and it will be nice to sit down and resolve it. Such
misunderstanding shouldn’t have come about at all.
“Both sides are to be blamed. The governors have separated themselves and maintain that it is only what they want that they will do in their states, the President is saying it is not so. The way out is to come back, sit down and resolve the issues.”
Speaking on a paper he delivered in
Geneva, the former vice-president noted that there was no difference
between democracy in Nigeria and military rule.
He said, “After the military handed over
power, the majority of those that took over power from them were
ex-military men. When they took over, instead of running affairs as in a
democracy, they resorted to running affairs as if it were in a military
regime. Whoever did not like what they wanted was blacklisted. That is
not right.
“So, that was the shape Nigerian
democracy took afterward. Sadly, the politicians who are not ex-military
inherited that attitude. They thought such attitude would benefit them
and continued with it. Unless we desist from that kind of attitude, do
away with dishonesty and injustice in the party and in government,
progress will elude us.”
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uncle Atiku,when u known this when in Power,what did u do to curtailed them? ok now I understand the seizure of a container and plane filled with arms and ammunitions in Lag and kano !!! so where are those Items? u both shared from it now bros
ReplyDeletePlease, let the nation hear more of these! God is not asleep - Nedum
ReplyDeleteThanks for the little revelations more are still coming.
ReplyDeleteFurther to Anonymous above I don't usually agree with Mr Atiku but this time I totally agree with him that the greedy Politicians created the security problems - Kidnapping, Terrorism, Burglary, Carjacking and senseless killings we now have in the country.
ReplyDeleteMy question is as with above contributor Why when in power did Mr Atiku and Obasanjo failed to use their power to curtail the ability of these Governors and other politicians including Goodluck Jonathan and his friends in the Niger Delta states to fund these youth paramilitary forces? After all most of them came into politics in abject poverty and will not have the funds to buy ammunition or pay the Delta and Northern youths to Terrorise and their own people. If proper Audit procedures have been put in place to make them accountable for their spending and Remove the annoying the Immunity Clause from the lousy Constitution we may now have a Save and Prosperous Nigeria for all instead of just for the 36 Governors and Legislators.
Baba Atiku u and ur oga Baba Iyabo are both uniform men, what stops u 4rm correcting this issues when in power? Both of u started it so we the lead ll assist u in prayers 4 God intervention.
ReplyDeleteGood talk mr former vice president,PDP governors buying arms to win elections, what about the arms you brought into the country to force those that don't want to live power out of power, were are the arms? just listen to your self, "arrested some and killed those that had to be killed" on what ground were they killed, have they been found guilty in a court of law? you talk about dishonesty, what about the house in England with an airport, your wife 650 million Dollars in transit are all these honesty? Atiku, you are the must corrupt leader Nigeria has ever had.
ReplyDelete