APC labels Atiku ‘Africa’s most infamous election loser’

APC labels Atiku ‘Africa’s most infamous election loser’

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

In a strong rebuke of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described him as  “Africa’s most infamous presidential election loser.” 

This statement follows Abubakar’s recent claim on social media that he did not lose the 2023 presidential election, insisting instead that the election was stolen from him.

In a statement released by the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, the party criticized Atiku’s recount of past presidential defeats. “Make no mistake. Atiku is Africa’s most infamous presidential election loser. Since serving as vice president, he has lost elections to every single president that has been elected to office in Nigeria,” Morka asserted.

The APC Spokesperson emphasized the public’s rejection of Atiku by highlighting his six electoral defeats over the past 17 years. “Nigerians have declared their verdict of untrustworthiness, incompetence, chronic corruption, visionlessness, uncanny desperation, and lack of sportsmanship on Atiku’s presidential candidacy,” he said. “This concerted disapproval has been reaffirmed by Nigeria’s highest courts, which have serially certified his long record of electoral defeat.”

The APC’s statement also pointed to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s disillusionment with Atiku, recalling the former president’s quote, “If I support Atiku for anything, God will not forgive me.” According to Morka, this illustrates the profound distrust many have regarding Atiku’s suitability for the presidency, owing to his association with various corruption scandals linked to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

In his criticism, Morka didn’t shy away from alluding to Atiku’s time as vice president during a period characterized by scandals, stating, “Atiku was the Vice President in the government that created crooked and viscerally corrupt petrol subsidy hydra-headed dragon that has crippled our country’s economy.”

Morka further portrayed Atiku’s aspirations as born out of a self-serving desire to further enrich himself and his allies rather than a genuine commitment to Nigeria’s progress.

 “Nigerians will not entrust their country to someone who puts his selfish interest, and the interest of his cronies over and above the national interest,” he warned.

Morka added that the former vice president’s recent publication, “What I Would Do Differently,” only reinforces the notion that Atiku has “nothing to offer Nigerians but his stale, tired, tested and failed economic ideas.”

He therefore urged the Nigerian populace to rally behind President Bola Tinubu and the ongoing administration’s efforts to revitalize the nation’s economy.

 “We urge Nigerians to stand fast in support of the APC administration,” Morka appealed, stressing the party’s commitment to rebuilding trust and integrity within the nation’s political landscape.