The Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar has announced his presidential aspiration yesterday in Abuja, stating that Nigeria is a sinking ship that must be rescued urgently.
This is the sixth time Atiku would be bidding for the presidential seat since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999.
The former vice president said the 2023 presidential election was a referendum for Nigerians to choose between greatness and continued destruction as well as backwardness.
According to Atiku, “It is a referendum to decide whether we want greatness or continuous destruction. It is a choice between two paths: the path of unity and progress or the path of division and backwardness.”
The former vice president stressed, “We need a new kind of leadership that will steer us to a positive path. In 2023, we want a president, who has ideas on how to fix Nigeria. We want a president who understands, who inspires and is empathetic.
“As the election is fast approaching, we should not be distracted from the devastating conditions we are in now. The ruling party wants to divide us; they want to divide us along the political, ethnic, and religious lines so that we forget to blame them for the rising inflation.
“They want to distract us from holding them responsible for the insecurity and rising poverty. They want us to be facing each other and hating one another. We should focus on the issues, not our differences. Let us unite and fight our common enemies: the lack of unity, insecurity, poverty, inflation, and unemployment.
“That is what this election is about. I have no doubt in my mind that we, as Nigerians, can do it. We did it in 1993. We can do it in 2023. We must stand firm, get our PVCs, come out en masse, cast our votes, and protect it against any manipulation.”
Atiku added, “You and I know that Nigeria is in dire need of visionary leadership. Our fundamental principles and purpose as a nation have never been challenged as it is today.
“Presently, Nigeria is a sinking ship; it must be rescued urgently. That is why I am happy to announce my candidacy for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“I offer myself to rescue the sinking ship. Under my captainship, this ship will sail to a brighter course by the grace of God. However, this journey is not mine alone. It is a journey I am taking for all Nigerians. It is also a journey to a destination I planned with my late great mentor, Major General Shehu Musa Yar’adua.”
