Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who is aspiring for the presidential ticket of the opposition All Progressives Congress, has warned that a mandate to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, in 2015 will be a vote for a single-party dictatorship.
Atiku, who spoke separately to APC leaders from Bauchi State and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja at an interactive session on Thursday said the “arrogance” of the ruling PDP has reached a point where the country can no longer bear it.
He said, “Here is a warning to all Nigerians. A ruling party that barred its members from running against the President in the primaries this year will, if care is not taken bar the entire citizens of the country from challenging him four years down the road.”
The former Vice President, who said he is the only candidate with a plan to reduce the enormous powers of the federation through a systematic devolution of power to the states, warned that “four more years of mandate will spell the death knell of democracy in the country.
“One-party dictatorship is bad and we must change.”
Atiku told the delegates that the powers of the federal government needed to be reduced if effective governance is to return to Nigeria.
He added that this action would equally reduce the cut-throat competition for power at the center.
On security challenges and the lack of development in the North-East geopolitical zone, Atiku said he agreed that the region was the country’s least in terms of development.
He added that even the United Nations agencies were in agreement with this position.
Speaking to the FCT delegates, Atiku said the country was currently faced with “bad resources management, insecurity, ethnic and religious disharmony and most importantly, we have poverty imposed on us.
“We have no reason to be poor because we have endowments in human and material resources. “Sadly,” he noted, “we have failed to utilize them due to poor leadership”.
Atiku went spiritual by quoting the Bible, Proverbs, Chapter 29 Verse 2, which says: “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”
This, he said, applies to both faiths. We cannot continue like this.”
The former Vice President said opportunity was now in the air, given the what he described as the failure of the ruling PDP, which he said was aided by the healthy development of the coming together of the entire opposition elements in the country.
He said, “For the first time under this democracy, Nigerians have the chance and opportunity to ensure that a change is effected.”
Atiku also promised to remove indigeneship requirements throughout the federation if he is elected as President. “Why should you be a stranger in a part of the country where you are born? Why should anyone be discriminated against?” he queried.
The former Vice President also played up his experience over the years in governance and business, calling himself a true democrat, not a born-again democrat; a born democrat who has never agreed to serve in past military regimes.
“I always prepare myself for what I want to do. Modern governance is more than bureaucracy. That’s why I have never made an attempt for public office without a policy document.”
The former Vice President dismissed co-contenders for the APC ticket as lacking in business experience.
Atiku said, “You cannot run a complex and a modern economy as we have without business experience. They don’t even know how to create jobs. So, I believe I am more prepared than anyone of them.
“In terms of uniting this country and defending this country, I also believe I stand out. You don’t have to be a soldier to defend your country. It takes a will.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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