Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has described Thursday’s national broadcast by President Muhammadu Buhari as his farewell speech.
Atiku, the main challenger to President Buhari who is seeking re-election under the All Progressives Congress (APC), added that the latter should get ready to move out of the State House.
In a statement signed by his special assistant on publication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said, “We see President Muhammadu Buhari’s attack on the opposition in his nationwide broadcast, Thursday night, as part of the many gaffes which have come to define last days of the Buhari Presidency, rather than an address to be taken seriously by Nigerians.”
The former vice president said Buhari ought to have shown deep introspection in his public comments “because he is not just presiding over any country, but one with the largest black nation on earth, which bestows a lot of responsibility on him.”
According to Atiku, Buhari’s “latest negative comments against opposition elements in his nationwide broadcast are not the attributes of a leader who should be re-elected for another term of office,”
Atiku added that “Even when he is voted out of office come Saturday, February 16, 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari must learn to rise above certain issues and do things that will enhance the respect the citizenry have for the office of the President, rather than rushing to exhibit soap-box mentality when the occasion does not call for it.”
While dismissing President Buhari’s nationwide broadcast as a farewell speech, the former Atiku said “the Nigerian public is already giving its reaction on General Buhari’s less than Presidential address to the nation this evening.
“A review of comments on Buhari’s Facebook Page to the broadcast shows that he should call in the removal van as people can’t wait for him to leave Aso Rock.”
