Atiku Speaks On Contesting In 2027 Election, Relationship With Wike, Akpabio’s Leadership Style (Full Text, Video)

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, in an interview for the television show Untold Stories with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie, spoke on political related matters in the country.

Naija News had earlier reported that Atiku, addressed his decision not to select the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as his running mate in the 2023 election.

Atiku also in the interview addressed the leadership style of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and the level of corruption in the National Assembly.

Read the transcribed interview below:

Atiku Speaks On Assasination Attempt On His Life

Giwa-Osagie asked, “You went in on exile in ’97?”

Atiku responded, “Yeah, around no, 1990.”

Giwa-Osagie asked, “Before you went on Exile, you survived an assassination attempt I believe in Kaduna.”

The former Vice President said, “Actually I went into exile before the assassination because I came back from exile. Mhmm. And then was elected into the constitutional assembly. So it was when we were in constitutional assembly, I think around 1994. That I faced an assassination attempt and then dashed out to London and from London to United States.”

The interviewer asked him to explain a little bit about what happened that day so that a lot of young people would know that people died so that we would have democracy, in his response Atiku said, “Yeah, I mean, actually most of them were security, my personal security at home and then six policemen who had come. You know, to rescue me, and unfortunately they did not know that there were soldiers who were at the gate and by the time they approached the gate, of course then there was exchange of fire. I think that exchange of fire saved me because the moment you know those who held me hostage, you know in my room had gunshots they now immediately started running, so they came down. By the time they came down, they found that six of the eight policemen were dead and then two of my security also.”

The PDP presidential candidate who was asked if he was in the room with his son said, “Yes, I mean my eldest son was with me, he came on holidays from UK. They got hold of him first, you know, at gunpoint, and then when I now opened the window blind from upstairs, I saw that they are holding him and at gunpoint I decided to dare them so I came out I said look take back my son to his room. If you are looking for me, I’m here. So they took him back. And then of course, as I was coming down the staircase, and it was a glass door, so they saw me and they cocked and opened fire, but then, as a trained person also, I went down. And then of course the bullets, you know, went into the wall and glass and so on. And then they stopped, you know, shooting, and I now got up. I said, But I’m coming to open the door for you. Why would you be, you know, shooting? Open, open, open. So I opened. And they said, okay, take us to your room. I refused to take them to my room because in my room, I put my wife and my daughter inside the wardrobe. I locked them. So I went to my wife’s room. I said, this is my room.”

He further stated, “And it was when we were in my wife’s room, they heard the gunshots. Mhmm. And then abandoned me and then started running down, you know, to escape. Later on, I was told it was a security operation.

“The late inspector general police then Kumasi confided in me because there was a security meeting and he reported that six of his policemen had been shot died in Kaduna and then a member of the security council said it was a security operation So he said if it was a security operation, am I not entitled to know? Because the inspector general police. That was something.”

Former Vice President Narrates How He Stepped Down For MKO Abiola

Giwa-Osagie asked Atiku why he stepped down for MKO in the presidential primary election of the SDP in 1992, if it was a move to emerge as the vice presidential candidate, Atiku in his response said, “No I think there have been some misinterpretation or misrepresentation of what actually happened even though I had in the past addressed, you know, the circumstances surrounding that incident. And after the first ballot, I called the late CEO Yaradua, he was in Kaduna because he was banned then from attending any political gathering.”

“So I told him, I said look, if you don’t come to Jos, there is every likelihood that, you know, Babagana Kingibe was going to be elected, and I know you didn’t want it. So you better come to Jos no matter how late. And he drove all the way from Kaduna to Jos. By the time he came to Jos, it was about three, 4 AM and he called for a meeting in Alhaji Kwande’s house. I do not know what he discussed with the late MKO Abiola. I didn’t know. I was not privy to the meeting, and he did not tell me about it. But when we got to the meeting in Ambassador Kwandi’s house, all he told me was that Turaki. I said yes sir.

“He said step down for MKO Abiola. I said okay sir, I have stepped down. So not until, you know, we came back to Kaduna because after the second round and Abiola won, Abiola led the show here. Abiola and I were on the same flight. So, Abiola dropped us in Kaduna and then proceeded to Lagos. It was in Kaduna that he was telling me this was what he agreed with MKO Abiola.

“So, then, of course, we waited for a long time. You know, it took time before Abiola announced his running mate. What I now understand is that Abiola was put under pressure by the SDP governors then. They threatened him and said, Look, if you don’t take Kingibe, we are not going to support you. The reason is that all of them got their tickets when Kingibe was the chairman of SDP. And Abiola felt that it was a risk worth taking. So and I think he decided to discard, you know, the agreement he had with Late Yar’Adua and of course nominated Kingibe as running mate.”

Atiku Reveals Why He Did Not Pick Wike As His Running Mate

The interviewer also asked the former vice president why he did not choose the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as his running mate in the 2023 presidential election, adding that does Atiku regrets his decision.

Atiku responded, “No, not at all. Because you see, in 2019, when I won the ticket in Port Harcourt, I came back here and then went straight to Abeokuta to meet my boss, President Obasanjo, and told him, Mister President, I got the ticket. So he asked me, he said, Okay, from where is your running mate going to come from? I said of course, it’s either Southeast or Southwest. He said no. Leave Southwest because I was there for eight years. Go to Southeast. I said, okay, sir. Do you have anybody in mind? He said, Yes. The first person he suggested was Ngozi Okonjo-Iwela. So I told him Ngozi was not a member of our party. If I forward the name to the party, they will reject it. I said, Okay. He said, What about Soludo? I said, Soludo too is not a member of our party, so he will not be accepted. And I said, what about Peter Obi? I said that Peter Obi was a member of the party. He said, Okay, thank you. I said, Okay, sir.

“So I came back here in this very same building, very same room, and someone in a meeting of the party leaders, who was attended by Uche Secondus, others, including Wike himself, Tambuwal. I remember there were about seven of them. I said look I have been to my boss, and this is what he said. Do you have any objection? Leaders of the party and also leaders of the governor’s forum said No, we don’t have an objection. I said Okay, go and announce. Now, I came under a lot of criticism after that. They said I did not consult with the party enough. So, in 2023, I threw the whole thing to the party. I said okay, set up a committee and recommend three people for me to pick as a running mate. And they set up a committee, and they came with a recommendation, number one, number two, and number three. So I picked number one (Okowa).

 “And the other one was Wike, who was number two. And number three, I don’t know. Yeah. Udom? Udom. That’s right.”

When asked why he spoke to Obasanjo on the choice of his running mate despite their level of relationship, he said, “Notwithstanding, he was my boss and is still my boss, so I owe him that, you know, that respect and that loyalty because I didn’t ask to be vice president. He simply called me, and he said are you ready to be my vice president? I said, Why not, sir? I said, okay.”

Ex-Vice President Speaks On State Of Emergency In Rivers State

Atiku, who was asked if he believes Democracy is dying in Nigeria following the recent declaration of State of Emergency in Rivers State said, “It is very dire. No doubt about that. I feel disappointed. The next generation after me, many of them had been governors, had been senators. Instead of seeing an improvement in the level of governance at the state level and so on, I don’t see it. So I feel a little bit distressed.”

Speaking on the coalition recently formed with the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai and possibly the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, he said, “We had a similar, you know, one which was in 2014.

“And there were about four of us, is it two or three? We all ran for president, and one of us emerged, and we all supported the one who emerged, and he won. I don’t know because there has to be, first of all, a viable platform, you know, and more than any other time in the political history of this country, particularly since the return of democracy, I have not seen Nigeria in dire need of, you know, an experience and credible leadership during this time.”

PDP Presidential Candidate Speaks On Woman’s Stand In Nigeria Politics

Speaking on women’s stand in Nigerian politics, he said, “It is disheartening or disappointing. I don’t know what to say, which word to use about the decline. I remember when we were in office, the president (Obasanjo) once called me and said, Vice President, in which states in the North can we get a woman governor? I think at that point in time, I said possibly in Taraba, you know, and we tried, but it didn’t work. But eventually I think I supported the late Mama Taraba and she did very well. Actually she won and they just took it away from her. The courts again, you know, took it away from her. And I think the women need to be encouraged there. It needs to be encouraged and need to be supported.”

Atiku Speaks On Natasha’s Suspension And Akpabio’s Leadership

Atiku, in his take on the suspension of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from the 10th senate and how weakened the PDP has become, said, “Yes. Definitely. The PDP is weak because we have a compromised leadership in the party, and there is no doubt about that.”

When asked if he is surprised that the state of emergency passed so quickly in the National Assembly, Atiku said, “I was not surprised because I know the leadership is corrupt, I have no apologies about that, and they could do anything, and the senate president (Akpabio) is known actually to be having those type of character even when he was a governor. So I got reports quite a lot.

“He was corrupt. Not only was he corrupt, but he was also in the habit of abusing, you know, women. Yeah.”

Speaking on the claim that lawmakers received money to endorse the State of Emergency in Rivers and if it is a usual act by lawmakers, he said, “Well, it all depends on the leadership of the particular time, you know, of the National Assembly. Of course, during Wabara’s time, you know, we had allegations of bribery and lots of money was brought on the floor of the National Assembly, you know, by members to say, look, this is the money they brought to us, you know, to buy us. But this is not the case with the current national assembly, you know, there have been allegations of corruption and vote buying by the executive on almost every aspect of the national assembly. Yeah.”

Atiku, speaking on how Nigerians can make democracy more entrenched, said he has not lost the fight: “No. I will not say I have lost this fight, maybe until I cannot fight anymore.”

Watch the video below: