Obasanjo, A Historical Figure – Atiku

BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar says the current overbearing and arm-twisting tactics of security agencies are fast emerging as evident threat to Nigeria’s nascent democracy.  

He has therefore urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently rein in the security agencies in order to douse the mounting tension in the land.

Atiku, who was Vice President to Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007, spoke against the backdrop of the alarm raised by his former boss of an alleged plot by the government to arrest him on trumped up charges.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, Atiku said the Buhari Presidency and its agents must retrace their steps to avoid aggravating the already over heated polity

Describing former President Obasanjo as ‘a historical figure’ in Nigeria’s democracy, the Waziri of Adamawa said; “Our nation has lost so much precious lives and property that we can no longer afford to travel that road again.”

Below is the full statement by former Vice President Atiku:

I have received with serious concern the purported alert raised by former President Olusegun Obasanjo of an alleged plot by the government to arrest him on trumped up charges.
I am disturbed by this turn of events in our dear country considering the huge price that was paid for us to have democracy.

I wish to advice that government and its agents should retrace their steps to avoid aggravating the already over heated polity.

The alert by President Obasanjo is coming against the backdrop of earlier alerts by some leaders, especially those of the opposition of deliberate and orchestrated attempt to intimidate and frame them up.

I wish to state without equivocation that President Obasanjo is a historical figure in Nigeria’s democracy and that the primary purpose of government is to provide security of lives and property of all citizens and residents irrespective of their status, political affiliation, religious inclination and ethnic leanings.

Our nation has lost so much precious lives and property that we can no longer afford to travel that road again.

I wish to appeal to President Buhari to call the security agencies to order in order to douse the tension in the land.  

Atiku Abubakar
Vice President of Nigeria, 1999-2007
June 8th 2018