I Am Proud I Stood Against Your Third Term Agenda, Atiku Fires Back At Obasanjo
BY GEORGE OKOJIE, Lagos
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Saturday described recent criticisms by former President Olusegun Obasanjo against him as another failed attempt to rewrite history, saying he remains proud of opposing the controversial third-term agenda.
Atiku in a statement on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said Obasanjo’s latest public comments merely mirrored “personal resentment” rather than historical truth and insisted that his opposition to the third-term bid was a constitutional duty.
He said, “I am proud that I stood against the third-term agenda. I am proud that I stood by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I have no apology whatsoever for frustrating every attempt to subvert our democracy for personal ambition,” Atiku said.
According to him, “if Obasanjo’s criticism stemmed from his refusal to support an unconstitutional extension of tenure, he regarded such resentment as “a badge of honour.”
Atiku pointed out that the battle against the third-term agenda was not about personal rivalry but about preserving Nigeria’s constitutional democracy, noting that, “the Nigerian people won that battle.”
He alluded to recent remarks by the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who described the economic management team under the Obasanjo administration as “the best Nigeria has ever had.”
According to him, the comments underscored the contributions of the administration in which he served and contrasted them with what he described as Obasanjo’s efforts to diminish his role.
Atiku who recounted his relationship with Obasanjo before the latter became president in 1999, claimed he stood by him during his imprisonment, supported his family, and played a significant role in rebuilding his political career after his release.
