Atiku: How I Saved Tinubu’s Political Career
Presidential candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the last general election, Atiku Abubakar, has claimed that contrary to the assertion by Vice President Kashim Shettima, it was he who, through his pro-democracy instincts and commitment to the rule of law, saved President Bola Tinubu’s political career when he was Governor of Lagos State.
Atiku made this claim through a statement by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, on Sunday, June 9, 2024.
“Truth be told, it was Tinubu that actually benefited immensely from Atiku’s goodwill,” the statement reads in part. “But for Atiku’s support, hinged on his pro-democracy instincts and rule of law, Tinubu’s tenure as governor of Lagos would have been rough with a wide possibility of termination of his political career.”
This was in response to the assertion by Shettima during the inauguration of the Vice Presidential Lodge on Thursday that President Tinubu served as “a veritable sanctuary for victims of political witch-hunts.”
“When Atiku Abubakar was harassed in the Peoples Democratic Party, it was Bourdillon he ran to for support, and it was in Bourdillon that he got the needed support and later contested for the presidency of this country,” Shettima said.
Reacting to the claim, Atiku said that Shettima goofed, pointing out that the Vice President was carried away with the euphoria of the unveiling of his official residence. Atiku also alleged that there has been a deliberate effort to distort the political history of the early Fourth Republic.
“For some time, and especially leading up to the 2023 election, there has been a deliberate attempt to distort the history of the politics of the early 4th Republic by ascribing the AC, the political platform that Atiku ran in 2007, as Tinubu’s party.”
He added: “Nothing can be further from the truth. Vice President Shettima, obviously carried away with the euphoria of the unveiling of his official residence as Vice President, repeated the same lie.”
In conclusion, Atiku advised Vice President Shettima to refrain from making statements on subjects he is not well-versed in, stressing the importance of maintaining historical accuracy.
“It will be appropriate for Vice President Shettima to refrain from making statements on subject matters on which he knows little or nothing about,” the statement said.
